Small Business Is Not Small

How the closing of a family business lead to creating the new La Strada Law Podcast

These days, it seems like everyone has a podcast. So, why shouldn’t La Strada Law have one too? But, what makes this podcast a bit different is how the idea surfaced.

 38 years ago, my dad began his business journey as an entrepreneur when he built Sal-E-Boy’s Pizzeria in Rio Rancho, NM.  He was a long way from where he was raised, in Brooklyn, NY, and wanted to bring a good slice of NY style pizza to a community of transplanted New Yorkers.

He ran the small local establishment in a growing city for decades. This May, he decided it was time to officially step into retirement and close Sal-E-Boy’s. Of course, it was hard for my family, but we expected it to be difficult. What we didn’t expect was the community he served to stir into a small frenzy.

There was a massive outpouring of calls, texts, messages, cards, and posts. Thousands of people engaged on social media. Hundreds shared memories of family dinners with Sal-E-Boy’s. Dozens of former employees shared how working in this little pizza shop changed the trajectory of their life— all for the better. The local newspaper wrote a story about the closing, and there were requests for live news interviews. It was shocking and so touching for my dad and my family.

It made us realize something important that we had forgotten in the recent chaos.  Small business is not SMALL. It is the lifeblood of our country and our communities. Seeing how a little pizza shop could have such a big impact on so many people gave us a bit of hope.

Sal-E-Boy’s weathered many storms and had been through many changes over its 38 years. With so many small businesses struggling through the storm of COVID and a recession, we had an idea. Why not tell the story of Sal-E-Boy’s?

We set out as a family to put together a podcast project in hopes that it would give others a little optimism and laughter during this seemingly hopeless time. We wanted to tell the story of heartfelt entrepreneurship, how small business ownership impacts families, relationships, and communities, and the grit it takes to build something from the ground up.

So, we launched Sal-E-Boy’s Podcast Network. We started with Sunday Conversations, telling the Sal-E-Boy’s story. Now, I’m spinning off with my own show: Top Three with La Strada Law.  Why the name? Watch or listen to episode 8 of Sunday Conversations to find out.

On Top Three with La Strada Law, we’ll explore the intersection of the law with your life and business journey. At La Strada Law, we are committed to changing how you view lawyers and the legal profession. So, on the podcast, we are going to have real conversations with real people about real things, not just legalese.

We’ll talk with those who have faced the challenges you are facing, so you can learn from their experience. We’ll talk with those who have knowledge to share. Yeah, we’ll talk about the law. But we’ll mostly talk about life and business, and how the law overlaps with almost everything you do. 

Working with a lawyer doesn’t have to be intimidating.  A lawyer should be a trusted legal advisor who knows about you, your family, your business, and your journey. Tune in as we launch our new podcast show, Top Three with La Strada Law, in the coming weeks to learn why working with La Strada Law is different.