Louisiana native Joel Dondis is a professionally trained chef and serial entrepreneur. He first fell in love with food and cooking at a young age and later went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Following graduation, Joel traveled to Europe to practice at the Michelin-rated Schloss Hotel and Restaurant Gargantua in Frankfurt, Germany.  After living in Europe and beginning a crawfish exporting business, he moved back to Louisiana and next worked as a Sous Chef at Emeril’s for three-years before founding Joel’s Grand Cuisine, Inc, now called Joel Catering and Event Planning. Joel opened James Beard Award winning La Petite Grocery in 2004, in 2006 Joel opened Sucre -- a dessert shop now arguably synonymous with the city of New Orleans itself -- and in 2007, Joel unveiled a seafood restaurant, Grand Isle. Today, Joel continues to live Uptown New Orleans with his wife, daughter, and dog.

Trishala Bhansali with Lekha

This podcast, as a collection of interviews, brings to light the original — and sometimes unorthodox — professional trajectories of selected artists and entrepreneurs. Based out of New Orleans, and hosted by Natalie Steuer, Let The Good Talk Roll will feature individuals whose lives and careers reflect an undeniable appreciation for beauty and business. However, beyond aesthetics and success, my appreciation is largely for the fortitude and follow-through which led them each to where they are today.