Harold Batiste sits at a desk he built himself. His clothes are impeccable, perfectly blending color and a style that tells anyone who sees him that he is a man who takes pride in himself and the way he dresses. With fabric swatches laid out before him, he works in a drawing pad, filled with sketches of suit designs for the clients he has dressed through the years. Batiste is the founder of Bespoke Batiste Collection, a bespoke tailor known for its beautiful and custom suit designs, with a clientele from all over the country.

Rooted in the belief that every skateboard tells a story, they give new life to boards once destined for the landfill—blending fine woodworking with the raw spirit of skateboarding. Each board they use once marked a moment when someone, somewhere, made the conscious decision to get up, go outside, and do something meaningful. That intention and energy live on in every one of their pieces. From high-end heirloom furniture to soulful, functional art, Barousse Works is more than a workshop—it’s a portal for remembrance, inviting you to reconnect with the beauty of what once was, and what still can be.

“Every big job I get brings both excitement and anxiety,” explains Randy LeBlanc. “There’s an equal combination of loving the challenge, and fear that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. “I know myself,” he adds. “I love that quote Do Good Work. While I do take risks, it’s always with integrity. I always finished the job… it’s not the clients’ fault it was harder or took longer. It comes down to having values.” LeBlanc is an award-winning blacksmith from Lafayette, Louisiana. He is the owner of Metal Head, Inc. The values, instilled in his foundation from different sources, have led the him to where he is today... a happy, healthy family man doing what he loves to do.

“My father was an entrepreneur,” explains Party Central owner Frank Gerami, III. “He was in business for himself his whole life. “Party Central started in the mid 1990’s,” adds Gerami. “My dad had an oilfield background, and he and his partners sold their oilfield company. He dabbled in some other businesses for a while. Then he decided to act on his feeling that there was a need in the market for an event rental place.”

“I THINK IF YOU WERE DOING A DOCUMENTARY,” begins Mike Calkins, “you would want to tell the story of a young man who, with almost no education, from a rural
town in south Louisiana, came back from World War I and turned something into a multi-million dollar, 100 year-old brand that still produces a great product.” There’s a slight
pause, and then comes the smile of a proud grandson. “And of course, that man was my grandfather, Joe Huval, and that brand is Evangeline Maid Bread.”

A little over 40 years ago, four friends in the seventh grade were sitting on and around a bench in Our Lady of Fatima’s playground area waiting for school to start. They did this almost every single morning during junior high. This particular morning’s conversation involved a very serious topic… the subject of piercing their ears.