Meet The Hacketts

Only a particularly hard-hearted human could see a dog or cat in
trouble and not want to help. Maybe you’d share a post on social
media. Or make a donation to a shelter, or a Go-Fund Me for a
pet. But would you contemplate turning your back on your current
career and dedicating your professional life to saving the lives
of thousands of pets?


That’s what J.T Hackett did. (J.T’s real name is Jacelyn, but
everybody calls her J.T.) For 12 years J.T. was co-owner of Petz
Plaza, a pet-focused business that provides services like
daycare, boarding, and grooming. That’s a business that’s focused
on fortunate pets. In 2019, J.T turned her attention to less
fortunate pets when she became the Director of Programs at Baton
Rouge’s Companion Animal Alliance.


The Alliance is a shelter that takes in over 9,000 stray or
abandoned animals a year. In 2024, J.T. became the organization’s
Executive Director.


I mentioned that J.T was co-owner of  Petz Plaza. The other
co-owner of the business was her husband, Michael Hackett. When
the Hacketts sold the business to private equity, Michael turned
his attention to other successful ventures. Among them, he bought
into The Main Squeeze – a juice franchise that started life in
Lake Charles and now has stores spread across the country.


In 2021 Michael decided to turn his expertise at business into a
business. He founded a consulting company specializing in
branding, public relations, business development and community
outreach. The company is simply called Hackett Consulting and its
wide range of clients include Rebuilding Together Baton Rouge,
Our Lady of the Lake, a local automobile dealership, a mortgage
lender, a concierge nursing group, and The Baton Rouge Area
Chamber.


What is as remarkable as the scope of these businesses is the
fact that when a company hires Hackett Consulting they get
Michael Hackett. He is the company.


There are a lot of variations to marriage. There are couples
whose marriage is a mystery, who seem to have nothing in common.
At the other end of the spectrum there are couples like the
Hacketts, who seem to have everything going for them.


Typically, we have guests on this show who don’t know each other.
We invite people to lunch who we think would get along, and could
benefit professionally from knowing each other. Today we’ve
worked backwards. We knew you J.T. and Michael get along, and
that they benefit professionally from knowing each other. What we
didn’t know is that their dedication - not just to each other and
to business success, but to higher ideals and to Baton Rouge – is
inspiring.


Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the
Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo
and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.la.


 


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.