CCJC Audio Podcast Episode 000110, Season 2
Laurent: How y’all doing, cher? Welcome to the Cajun Chronicles Podcast Corporation. Today, the gumbo in the pot is a little different, a little richer than our usual. We’re not talking about fishing for redfish or chasing ghosts in the bayou. No, no. We’re talking about something more profound, something that holds the very essence of our Louisiana spirit.
Dominique: You see, our producer and Laurent and I, we were brainstorming for a pre-recorded episode that went a little deeper. We wanted to talk about life’s challenges, about finding your way when the fog rolls in.
And we knew just the man. A true son of New Orleans, a Creole gentleman friend of my family, who’s not just a history buff, but a living legend in the New Orleans business world. He’s a man whose success wasn’t built in a fancy office, but on a foundation of grit, perseverance, and the lessons he learned a long, long time ago as a young man.
So get comfy, pull up a chair, get your favorite Truck Coffee, perhaps a Commander’s Chicory blend, and prepare to be enlightened by Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois. This is the first of a multi-episode series we’re calling “Keepers of the Light.”
Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois: Thank you, thank you, for having me. It is a pleasure to be here. You want to talk about business, about success? We can do that. But first, you must understand the basics. For me, everything I learned about building something that lasts, I learned from a place that has been destroyed more times than it has been rebuilt. I learned it at the New Canal Lighthouse.
Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois: People look at that beautiful, white building on the water now, and they see a museum. But I see so much more. You see, the original lighthouse, it was a simple wooden tower built in 1838.
A young man like me back then, I would have looked at that thing and thought, ‘That’s it? That’s what’s going to guide a ship through the dark?’ It was so modest, so simple. It was not built to last forever. That’s the first lesson, my friends: sometimes, the first tool for the job is not the perfect one. It’s just the one you have.
That first lighthouse, it started to lean, you know, a few years after it was built. The wood was rotting. It was sinking into the mud. It was an honest sign of a flawed foundation. And that, right there, is your first business lesson: You have to look at the problems you have, the flaws in your system, and you must not pretend they do not exist. You must confront them.
Realizing that they rebuilt it. In 1855. They made a new one, a square house on iron piles. It was stronger, yes, but even it was not immune to the power of the sea. That’s the second lesson: a storm will come. You will have a plan, you will have the right tools, you will have your foundation, but a storm will always come.
The key is not to avoid the storm, but to understand its power and to prepare for the inevitable. You must build your business with the knowledge that it will be tested, not just by competitors, but by forces beyond your control.
As I began my early days as a young keeper, my Grannpè, he told me this: “The light, it is not for the strong. It is for the lost.” My job wasn’t to impress the ships that had a clear path. My job was to guide the ones who were in trouble, who had lost their way in the fog.
That’s what a good business does. It doesn’t just sell a product. It solves a problem for those who are struggling, for those who are lost in the chaos of life. The light, she is the solution. My business today, it is no different. We guide, we provide a light for those who are lost in the darkness of an overwhelming problem.
The final lesson for today, from that very first lighthouse, is about the people who kept the light. My people. Creole, Cajun, black, white, native peoples, all of us. Most people don’t know, but women were also keepers of that lighthouse too. It was not just a man’s job.
Women took over for their husbands who died. They were not just the wives; they were the keepers. They had the courage to keep that light burning, even in the middle of a hurricane, with no one else to help.
That lesson, my friends, is this: your business is nothing without the people who are willing to stand in the storm for you. You must value them, you must support them, and you must understand that their strength is your ultimate foundation.
You want to know where my success came from? It came from that little wooden tower that leaned. It came from the brave women who kept a light burning through the darkness. It came from a simple, unwavering purpose: to be the light in the middle of a storm. That is the first lesson. And that is where our story begins.
Dominique: Wow. I told you, Laurent. I told you this man was something else. He just gave us a brief history lesson and a business masterclass, all in one.
Laurent: You’re right Calliope! Join us after this break, and our listeners need to hear more from Granmisié Dubois. We want to know more about what it was like to be a keeper in those unforgiving waters and how it shaped his very soul. Until then, remember to always watch for the light.
Laurent: Welcome back, cher. Before the break, our guest, Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois, told us about the very first lessons he learned from the New Canal Lighthouse. Today, we’re going to dive deeper into the human side of that history. And let’s be honest, in this part of the world, that often means we’re talking about spirits.
Dominique: That’s right. Granmisié Jean-Luc, we have to talk about the legends. We know the New Canal Lighthouse is famous for its ghost story, particularly the one about a young girl, “The Keeper’s Daughter.” As someone who was there, as a young man, what can you tell us about that? Did you ever feel a presence?
Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois: Cher, a keeper of the light, he learns to feel more than he sees. You spend a long time by yourself on the water. You learn to listen to the whisper of the wind, the way the light reflects off the waves. And you learn to feel the weight of the past.
You ask me about the “Keeper’s Daughter.” Ah, that is the story people like to tell today on the ghost tours. It is a nice story. A good story. But for me, it was never a girl in a white dress. For me, it was always the women. The real women. The keepers.
I knew of them, of course. My Grannpè told me their stories. And my Grannpè, he was a Creole man. He taught me to have respect for the spirit world, for les morts. He told me that a soul does not just float away into the clouds. A soul can be attached to a place, to a person, to a feeling. The feeling of duty. Of purpose.
Dominique: So, you’re saying the ghost story isn’t so much about a single girl, but a larger spirit of the place? The spirit of those women?
Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois: Exactly, cher. I will tell you. One night, a bad storm was coming. Not a big hurricane, but a quick, vicious one. The wind was whipping, and the waves were crashing against the pilings. I was in the lantern room, making sure everything was secure. The light, she was turning, cutting through the spray and the darkness.
Then I felt it. A cold chill. But not the cold of the storm. A deep, penetrating cold. I looked over, and I saw a handprint on the glass of the lens. It was a small hand, a woman’s hand, so small and so clear. But there was no one else in that room with me. I wiped it with my sleeve, and it was still there.
I knew then. It was not the ghost of a girl. It was the spirit of a woman keeper. A woman who had kept this light burning when the wind howled and the water rose. I felt her presence, not as a scary thing, but as a warning. As a reminder that the storm was real and that I had to be strong, just as she had been.
Laurent: And what did you do?
Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois: What did I do? I got to work. I checked the chains, I secured the lanterns, and I kept my hand on the crank. I knew she was there with me. Not a ghost to be feared, but a guide. A spiritual mentor from another time.
That is the Creole way. We believe that the past, but it is not gone. It is always there, beside us, in the places we love, in the work we do. And if you listen, if you are humble, they can show you the way.
The keeper’s daughter is a nice story for the tourists. But the true story of the New Canal Lighthouse, the Creole story, is about the strength of the women who kept that light burning, and how their spirits still protect her today. That, my friends, is a powerful truth. A truth you can feel, even when you cannot see it.
Laurent: Well, dear listeners, my head is spinning. We told you Granmisié Jean-Luc is something else. He’s just given us a history lesson, a spiritual moment, and a business seminar all wrapped up in one beautiful tale. And all from a handshake on a pane of glass.
Dominique: It really makes you think about what’s out there. The past feels a lot closer now. Granmisié Jean-Luc, thank you for sharing that. It makes me want to go back to that lighthouse, but maybe with a little more respect this time, you know? Not just for the history, but for the family that’s still there.
Granmisié Jean-Luc. Jean-Luc Dubois: Oh, yes, Cher. Always with respect. Just like you respect your grand-maman’s cooking. You don’t just eat it. You listen to the story she’s put in the roux. It’s the same thing.
Dominique: That’s a perfect way to put it. Now, Granmisié, we have to let you go for this episode, but we have to leave our listeners with a hint. You’ve told us about the New Canal Lighthouse. What’s next on our journey with you? Which light are we going to see next?
Granmisié Jean-Luc. Jean-Luc Dubois: Ah, next, we leave the easy water of the lake. Next, we go into the belly of the beast. We talk about a lighthouse that was so stubborn, so pig-headed, that it was built in the one place no man, no boat, no storm could get to. And she sat right there, for a hundred years, just daring the Gulf to come knock her down.
We will talk about the Sabine Pass. And its ghost, well, let’s just say a ghost who was very, very unhappy with a certain Confederate soldier. We will talk about a place where the light was not just a guide, but a warning, and where the past has a very bad temper.
Dominique: Sabine Pass. Wow. I’ve heard stories about that one.
Laurent: I’m telling you, this is a man who knows. You won’t want to miss it, cher. So tune in next week for the next episode of “Keepers of the Light,” where Granmisié Jean-Luc Dubois will lead us into the moody, murky waters of the Sabine Pass and a tale of a ghost who’s still fighting a war that ended a long, long time ago. Until then, stay safe, and keep an eye out for those shadows. They’re listening.
A Word of Wisdom:
Our fictional and non-fictional tales are inspired by real Louisiana and New Orleans history, but some details may have been spiced up for a good story. While we’ve respected the truth, a bit of creative license could have been used. Please note that all characters may be based on real people, but their identities in some cases have been Avatar masked for privacy. Others are fictional characters with connections to Louisiana.
As you read, remember history and real life is a complex mix of joy, sorrow, triumph, and tragedy. While we may have (or not) added a bit of fiction, the core message remains, the human spirit’s power to endure, adapt, and overcome. Cajun Chronicles Audio Podcast - Bringing you the heart of Louisiana. Artwork generated with Google Docs Image Maker
© Jerilee Wei 2025 All Rights Reserved.
