Some things about life in Acadiana are unique to this part of the world. And some things we share with the rest of the world.

One of those common issues, in business, is making the link between the online world and the real world. These days, over 80% of all retail purchases begin with an online search. And, you know from your own experience, almost everything else you do starts online too – from navigation to planning a vacation. When it comes to the real-world uniqueness of Acadiana, and our common online link to the rest of the world, Jesse Guidry is in an exceptional position.

Jesse IS the link between Acadiana and the rest of the online world. Jesse’s official title is Vice President of Communications at the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission.

In the world of online business and entrepreneurship, Tom Cox is a pioneer and a big deal success story, and not just locally. He’s probably too humble to give himself this title, but Tom is one of the creators of e-commerce. Way back in 1995 he came up with the idea of selling golf balls online. It was so long ago that Tom was able to buy the domain name golfballs.com. In the intervening couple of decades, in a world dominated by Amazon, golfballs.com has continued to be an industry leader in manufacturing and selling golf balls and golf equipment.

Photos over lunch at Cafe Vermilionville by Lucius Fontenot