Every culture tells stories as a means of preserving its way of life. In South Louisiana, the raconteurs or storytellers pass along our history, culture, and perspective to the next generations. Cajuns love to gather around campfires or sit on the porch swing and hear stories of Cajun lore passed down through multiple generations. Continue Reading

If you’ve ever spent time in Bayou Country, you know that Cajuns love to talk. And depending on their passion for their subject, they can gesture wildly as they speak. It doesn’t matter where they are — a family gathering, a church function, a PTA event, a business meeting, or even a wake or a funeral — Cajuns get animated when they talk and don’t care who else is talking at the same time. Continue Reading

Where I come from, sugarcane is King! Sugarcane arrived in Louisiana with the Jesuit priests in 1751, who planted it near their church in what is now downtown New Orleans. The sugarcane industry has continued to grow and flourish (pun intended) lo these many years. Continue Reading

The French term “envie” means to crave, have a hankering for, or to feel like doing something. It’s a term commonly used in South Louisiana, most often about a type of food. Such as “Ooh, mae I have an envie for some boiled crawfish!” (Which is a true statement for me, but sadly, I will have to wait a few more months for crawfish season!)

What do you have an envie for? As a leader, do you have clarity about what you want to achieve? Have you spelled out specifically what you want to accomplish? Continue Reading

I was chatting with a client recently, and she said, “Well, you know, we’re really in the relationship business.” As I noodled that concept, my first thought was, “Well show me an organization that’s not in the relationship business.”

The client happened to be an international non-profit organization and one could clearly make the connection that relationships play a vital role in their “business”. The next day, as I spoke to a group of bankers, I thought, “well these guys and gals are surely in the relationship business!” My clients in the healthcare, insurance, engineering, manufacturing, and technology industries are all in the relationship business. Continue Reading

It was an early August morning in New Orleans and my friend Myra and I had just left a business meeting. We decided to take the short walk down Canal Street to Magazine Street  to a local restaurant to have another cup of coffee or two and catch up. I’m a country girl come to town, but I like cute shoes just as much as the next gal. So I was wearing shoes that I hoped were both cute and comfortable for the walk. Continue Reading

It was really a spur of the moment decision. We didn’t plan for it; we certainly didn’t budget for it. My family’s decision to take off for a 10-day California vacation was one of those “carpe diem” moments. But one of the best decisions we’ve ever made for our family. Continue Reading

In South Louisiana we often use the term “Lagniappe”. If you’re not quite sure what this term means, “Lagniappe” is a term that actually has Spanish and French roots. (Remember, Louisiana has been under both Spanish and French rule, so many of our terms are derivatives of those languages.) ‘Lagniappe’ refers to a little something extra that a friendly shop keeper might add to a customer’s purchase. Continue Reading

There are some people who are content with the status quo. Well, maybe they’re not exactly “content” but they are just not willing to take the action necessary to create a different outcome. Continue Reading

Here in South Louisiana the summer heat is in full force, and you can tell just by looking at my yard. With severe drought and daily temps in the 90′s , my grass looks, well, a little piqued. Since I’ve begun a daily watering campaign, though, the grass has perked up a bit and I’m seeing less brown and more green every day. (And green contributions – towards my water bill, that is – are welcome!) Continue Reading