If you read the bestseller “Bowling Alone” in 2000 or are taking notice of wellness stories offering advice on how to reconnect with others IRL, you know that Americans are facing a crisis of loneliness. According to an advisory issued in 2023 by then U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, about one-in-two adults in America report experiencing loneliness, a condition that impacts mortality at a similar rate as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. For entrepreneurs, business owners, or corporate executives who might be feeling “lonely at the top,” the isolation can have devastating effects, especially for men. Studies show that men experiencing social isolation or loneliness have a higher risk of premature death from all causes compared to those with strong social connections. So, where do you turn to for positivity and community? Albert Pellisier of Man Up! and Meredith Waguespack of Sweet Baton Rouge have some ideas. Albert Pellissier of Man Up! developed a passion for entrepreneurship while attending LSU when he published and produced student coupon books distributed at registration, a sorority-fraternity phone book, and the class schedule booklets. After college, Albert got into real estate, investing in multifamily units around the university and opening a salon suites concept, which is still operating. But Albert’s success in real estate isn’t why we invited him to Out to Lunch. He is also the founder of Man Up!, a business focused on offering secular, personal development retreats for men, and the author of “What’s on Your Back Burner?: Using Dormant Desire to Relight Your Fire.” Published in 2024, “What’s on Your Back Burner” offers a simple three-step process to resolve inner conflicts that keep individuals and entrepreneurs from realizing their goals. Meredith Waguespack failed out of two colleges — Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State University – before she graduated from Southeastern University in Hammond. While in college, Meredith worked full time at a Baton Rouge-based boutique, managing its two local stores until they closed, and then at Chico’s at Towne Center. In 2011, after working as an outside sales rep for a tech company and three years as a dental assistant, Meredith launched Sweet Baton Rouge—then called Southern Football Tees— as an online boutique. Now, nearly 15 years later, Sweet Baton Rouge offers Louisiana lifestyle apparel online and at a brick-and-mortar shop in Perkins Rowe. 80% of retail stores fail before their 10th birthday. Sweet Baton Rouge approaching its Sweet 16 is a testament to Meredith's business acumen and her positioning the store in the Baton Rouge community. The store hosts an annual pop up market with over 40 vendors, called The Ultimate Tailgate, and funds a college scholarship. In an increasingly polarized world, both men and women are looking for solace, support, and inspiration. In our digital age, many of us turn to social media or online chat groups to find like-minded people and community. But we typically find online connections don’t quite satisfy us like real world relationships. Even if that relationship is just friendship, or even casual conversation. Meredith and Albert are both in their own ways bridging the gap between the virtual and real worlds: using social media to create in-person events and experiences that foster community. Whether it’s comfortable t-shirts for game day or a secular retreat on a Louisiana farm, they’re building businesses while connecting people with their passions and goals. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ben Rabalais from Albaledo Media at itsbatonrouge.la.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s a plotline we’re all familiar with, something from a novel or a movie. After years of good health, our heroine begins to feel less like herself. She feels sluggish and fatigued at work. She loses her appetite and can’t sleep at night. She begins to worry. So she makes an appointment with her doctor and the recommended specialists, of which there are many. Yet, the medical diagnosis is the same: there’s no cure for what ails her. Then, as in all Hollywood blockbusters, our heroine discovers a miraculous, surprising cure, recovers her health, and lives happily ever after. Hollywood describes these “ripped from the headlines” tales as “based on a true story.” In this episode of Out to Lunch we hear two of those true tales. NaQuellar “Nikki” Thompson was a stay-at-home mom with three children when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. Her doctors had no explanation why the cancer progressed so quickly, so Nikki decided it must be in part a result of what she was eating. She became a vegan and, after three years of living a vegan lifestyle, opened Veganish Vibes on Bennington Avenue in 2022. Dr. Lynn Duhe was drawn to holistic medicine by her own health and wellness journey. In 2017, she began to suffer from migraines. When five different doctors gave her no hope for recovery, she turned to a chiropractor and a nutritionist for treatment. In 2019, Lynn Duhe launched Miracle Wellness Center, which became a full medical practice in 2022. Nikki and Lynn both turned to alternative medical treatments after receiving a potentially fatal diagnosis. With harrowing, true tales “ripped from the headlines” — both Nikki and Lynn were cured. But the story doesn’t end there. Separately, Lynn and Nikki decided to share what they had learned from their experiences with the public by opening their respective businesses. And today Baton Rouge is the better for it. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Photos by Ben Rabalais from Albaledo Media at itsbatonrouge.la.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you think back on your most memorable meal, what comes to mind? The company you kept? The exceptional wine list? An entre made up of the freshest Louisiana ingredients? Chef Barrett Meeks and Abney Harper are two Baton Rouge restaurateurs making memorable meals for locals with successful establishments located just doors apart from each other on Corporate Boulevard in Baton Rouge. Executive Chef Barret Meeks of Mansurs On The Boulevard developed his passion for cooking when he was just 8 years old. He’d been invited into John Folse’s kitchen at Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant to see how a dessert was plated. Later, after graduating from LSU and the Louisiana Culinary Institute, he opened a food truck called The Bengalier. In 2015, Chef Meeks joined the kitchen staff at Mansurs on the Boulevard, working his way up the ranks to become Executive Chef in 2021. Abney Harper met her husband and business partner while a student at Tulane University Law School. Years later, after practicing law for over a decade, she left her practice to join the restaurant industry. Today Abney is the co-owner of two businesses: Prima Apres, a fast casual pasta and pavlova restaurant, and Sucre Baton Rouge, and Sucre Covington, desert restaurants famous for their macarons and gelato. Whether we're eating Italian cuisine, Creole specialties, or mom's favorite recipes, in Louisiana we love gathering around a table with family and friends for an exceptional meal. Those meals are often inspired by cCreole history and traditions and typically end with a sumptuous bread pudding or bananas foster. But other equally memorable meals end with bite-sized surprises like a French-inspired macaron or exotic pavlova, a meringue named after a Russian ballerina. In Baton Rouge we're thankful for these specialty culinary experiences that are made possible by Abney Harper and Barret Meeks. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Photos by Ben Rabalais from Albaledo Media at itsbatonrouge.la.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know raising kids takes a village—but what if you’re the one building that village? What if you're the one creating the spaces where children feel safe? Daycare Tessa Holloway is the Owner and Director of Kidz Karousel, a network of early learning centers with nine locations across South Louisiana. What started as a personal decision to save her children’s daycare in Port Allen has grown into one of the region’s most recognized family-centered childcare businesses. Tessa and her husband built Kidz Karousel around the needs of families, because they were one. Today, Kidz Karousel is a sought-after partner for major employers like Woman’s Hospital and Our Lady of the Lake. Daddy When we talk about building stronger communities, we often start with kids' education, mentoring and opportunities. But what if we went one step further and invested in the people raising them? That’s exactly what Levar Robinson is doing with Fathers on a Mission. After years of mentoring youth, Levar realized the deeper need wasn’t just helping kids—it was supporting their dads. Today, he leads a growing nonprofit that empowers fathers to be more present, more prepared, and more connected. And in doing so, he’s reshaping what family support looks like in Baton Rouge—and soon, across Louisiana. Parenthood isn’t easy—it takes dedication, patience, and a whole lot of support from the community around you. Levar and Tessa are both showing us that building stronger communities starts at home—whether that’s creating safe, nurturing spaces for kids or empowering the fathers who shape their lives. Their work is a reminder that real change happens when people step up, not just to fill a need, but to build something lasting for families and the whole city. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.la.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Only a particularly hard-hearted human could see a dog or cat in trouble and not want to help. Maybe you’d share a post on social media. Or make a donation to a shelter, or a Go-Fund Me for a pet. But would you contemplate turning your back on your current career and dedicating your professional life to saving the lives of thousands of pets? That’s what J.T Hackett did. (J.T’s real name is Jacelyn, but everybody calls her J.T.) For 12 years J.T. was co-owner of Petz Plaza, a pet-focused business that provides services like daycare, boarding, and grooming. That’s a business that’s focused on fortunate pets. In 2019, J.T turned her attention to less fortunate pets when she became the Director of Programs at Baton Rouge’s Companion Animal Alliance. The Alliance is a shelter that takes in over 9,000 stray or abandoned animals a year. In 2024, J.T. became the organization’s Executive Director. I mentioned that J.T was co-owner of Petz Plaza. The other co-owner of the business was her husband, Michael Hackett. When the Hacketts sold the business to private equity, Michael turned his attention to other successful ventures. Among them, he bought into The Main Squeeze – a juice franchise that started life in Lake Charles and now has stores spread across the country. In 2021 Michael decided to turn his expertise at business into a business. He founded a consulting company specializing in branding, public relations, business development and community outreach. The company is simply called Hackett Consulting and its wide range of clients include Rebuilding Together Baton Rouge, Our Lady of the Lake, a local automobile dealership, a mortgage lender, a concierge nursing group, and The Baton Rouge Area Chamber. What is as remarkable as the scope of these businesses is the fact that when a company hires Hackett Consulting they get Michael Hackett. He is the company. There are a lot of variations to marriage. There are couples whose marriage is a mystery, who seem to have nothing in common. At the other end of the spectrum there are couples like the Hacketts, who seem to have everything going for them. Typically, we have guests on this show who don’t know each other. We invite people to lunch who we think would get along, and could benefit professionally from knowing each other. Today we’ve worked backwards. We knew you J.T. and Michael get along, and that they benefit professionally from knowing each other. What we didn’t know is that their dedication - not just to each other and to business success, but to higher ideals and to Baton Rouge – is inspiring. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.la. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.