Sometimes life takes you places you’d never dreamed you’d go.
For instance, recently I found myself out in the middle of Holden, La., spending a leisurely afternoon outdoors with the man who, when I was just six years old, officially became the man I was going to marry.
Every week I’d watch him expertly maneuver a bright orange Dodge Charger with the numbers 01 emblazoned on the doors and I’d dream I was sitting there beside him. He’d let me hit the horn and the notes of “Dixie” would ring out as we’d launch ourselves into the air – my pigtails flying in the breeze. Yes, Bo Duke was definitely welcome in my playhouse anytime.
Now, 29 years after Dukes of Hazzard’s last episode aired, I was asked to spend the afternoon with THE Bo Duke (ok, John Schneider if you want to get technical) on his new play area – a 58-acre property in Holden he purchased in January of this year to serve as John Schneider Studios. As I sat on his back porch, my childhood self squealing at this dream come true, Schneider shared with me his own dreams as he starts out on a new chapter of his life and career.
And he’s not the only one that’s embarking on new adventures – even in this issue.
This summer Congressman Steve Scalise became the first majority whip from Louisiana in 43 years, while Mary Lee Kottemann DeVun, granddaugher of Sam Cortese, creator of those iconic Roman Candy wagons still rumbling down the streets 100 years later, has surprisingly found herself in the rum business.
And then there’s Melissa Beese, a woman who in only two years went from being a frustrated local mother to the owner of a toy company recently featured by Forbes magazine.
This is what I love about Louisiana right now. It’s bursting with these stories – with businesses being born, with unforeseen opportunities springing up everywhere, with stories waiting to be told.
And we’re here to tell them – to bring them to life in full color so that others can learn, be inspired, and join with us in celebrating the bright future that lies ahead for this region.
In this, our second issue, Biz New Orleans is officially past the starting gate. Our engine is roaring and, just like so many of you, we’re not afraid to take the leap.
