Lou Lamedica Email and Phone Number

I was inspired by Forrest Gump's career trajectory. With the ink still warm of my business degree from UB, I decided the business world wasn't for me. I put myself through culinary school in NYC working in the commissary department of Peter Kump's NY Cooking School. After graduating, I secured a low-level spot at the Zagat top-rated restaurant at the time, Union Square Cafe. I thought that I was on my way. A little over a year later, I was burnt out. A sense of separation from the real-world came over me that I could not shake. Working only nights, weekends and holidays in the kitchen was not how I envisioned my life. Fast forward a year later, and I am selling stocks over the phone at a small brokerage. Working two blocks from the World Trade Center, I witnessed the horrors of September 11th first hand. Like many Americans, I wanted to help. I enlisted in the US Air Force as a linguist. As a musician, languages came easy to me, and I was chosen to learn Korean, one of the most difficult languages taught at DLI. I went from not knowing about kimchi, to being able to read the Korean newspaper cover-to-cover over 63 intensive weeks. The Air Force then stationed me in Korea, where I met my lovely wife and stayed there for over five years. With my enlistment over, it was time to come home to the United States.When the opportunity to buy Apple Spice was presented, I thought I was buying a little deli in an office park! I did not understand that the corporate community in the DMV was as vast and as competitive as it was. But I always used quality and a willingness to listen to my customers as my North Star. As we saw how others made their food, we saw an opportunity to stand out. We began to introduce 5-star chef techniques like sous vide turkey and roast beef into our sandwiches. Every week, we would make a fresh batch of our signature Ranch from scratch. Soon, our business was known for having fresh food that impressed CEOs and interns, alike.Things were moving along swimmingly, until COVID.Everything changed.A thriving business of 20 employees was reduced to 4. Our new mantra became "rebuild, reimagine, redo."COVID has taught me to diversify my business portfolio. I will use SEO Sterling to fulfill my personal mission of helping out others. My time in Vistage has shown me that many business owners are too busy to learn the intricacies of search engine optimization (SEO). And yet, this one skill is crucial to marketing in today's world. I will start humbly and small but I will work faithfully to grow my new venture.