Thanks to Barry Lemoine for writing the following article, which ran in the St. Bernard section of the Times-Picayune last Thursday!
"She left her law firm in the Windy Cindy to head back to the Crescent City, and now this St. Bernard native can be found each Saturday in Arabi, promoting and selling Louisiana seafood at the St. Bernard Seafood and Farmer’s Market on Aycock Street. It’s been quite a journey for Mindy Nunez, the daughter of a third generation commercial fisherman.
Nunez, a 2001 graduate from Hannan High School, said it wasn’t until she enrolled at Louisiana Tech University that she began to appreciate her Islenos roots.
“ My journey to North Louisiana ignited my awareness of the incredible resource St. Bernard has in its commercial fishing industry. I was only 5 hours from home, yet my access to fresh seafood was nearly cut-off. “
But while she missed her daily diet of seafood, she continued on her educational and professional track. After graduating from law school the University of North Carolina in 2008, Nunez followed her dream - practicing law in a big city, but she began to long for the taste of home.
“ Every time I went back to Chicago after a visit home I checked (at the airport) an entire ice chest of frozen fresh seafood . I was starting to miss Louisiana seafood more and more.”
In addition to the food and her family, Nunez also missed the lifestyle of St. Bernard.
“There's no place like home, I guess. The pace of life in South Louisiana is so much more relaxed than any other city, especially Chicago. I began to truly realize the value of fresh seafood and since my dad was a commercial fisherman for most of my life and now operates a dock in Ycloskey, I realized that I had an intimate connection and access to St. Bernard's greatest resource, fresh seafood! “
Nunez said that she also wanted to do something that she was passionate about rather than doing something that was expected.
“I got tired of letting my law degree drag me around the county to advocate for something that didn't matter to me and I decided to use it to be an advocate for something I care about, selling and promoting Louisiana seafood, particularly St. Bernard seafood.“
So, now she spends much of her time and money, building her business – a challenge to be sure, but one that she welcomes.
“I went from a yearly salary, suits and briefcases, and a window office in the Sears Tower to driving a pickup in shorts and a t-shirt in the hot Louisiana sun hoping to sell enough seafood to cover my start-up expenses. Some people think I'm crazy, but I think big rewards require taking big chances.”
To learn more about Mindy and her Islenos roots, logon to islenosseafood.com or follow her on her blog at shrimpappeal.com"
"She left her law firm in the Windy Cindy to head back to the Crescent City, and now this St. Bernard native can be found each Saturday in Arabi, promoting and selling Louisiana seafood at the St. Bernard Seafood and Farmer’s Market on Aycock Street. It’s been quite a journey for Mindy Nunez, the daughter of a third generation commercial fisherman.
Nunez, a 2001 graduate from Hannan High School, said it wasn’t until she enrolled at Louisiana Tech University that she began to appreciate her Islenos roots.
“ My journey to North Louisiana ignited my awareness of the incredible resource St. Bernard has in its commercial fishing industry. I was only 5 hours from home, yet my access to fresh seafood was nearly cut-off. “
But while she missed her daily diet of seafood, she continued on her educational and professional track. After graduating from law school the University of North Carolina in 2008, Nunez followed her dream - practicing law in a big city, but she began to long for the taste of home.
“ Every time I went back to Chicago after a visit home I checked (at the airport) an entire ice chest of frozen fresh seafood . I was starting to miss Louisiana seafood more and more.”
In addition to the food and her family, Nunez also missed the lifestyle of St. Bernard.
“There's no place like home, I guess. The pace of life in South Louisiana is so much more relaxed than any other city, especially Chicago. I began to truly realize the value of fresh seafood and since my dad was a commercial fisherman for most of my life and now operates a dock in Ycloskey, I realized that I had an intimate connection and access to St. Bernard's greatest resource, fresh seafood! “
Nunez said that she also wanted to do something that she was passionate about rather than doing something that was expected.
“I got tired of letting my law degree drag me around the county to advocate for something that didn't matter to me and I decided to use it to be an advocate for something I care about, selling and promoting Louisiana seafood, particularly St. Bernard seafood.“
So, now she spends much of her time and money, building her business – a challenge to be sure, but one that she welcomes.
“I went from a yearly salary, suits and briefcases, and a window office in the Sears Tower to driving a pickup in shorts and a t-shirt in the hot Louisiana sun hoping to sell enough seafood to cover my start-up expenses. Some people think I'm crazy, but I think big rewards require taking big chances.”
To learn more about Mindy and her Islenos roots, logon to islenosseafood.com or follow her on her blog at shrimpappeal.com"
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