Meet Alice Laussade | CEO of Meat Fight, Inc.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alice Laussade and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alice, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Generally, I’m risk-averse: I don’t trust rollercoasters; Jumping out of a plane for fun isn’t for me; My coffee order has stayed the same for years; I’m a big fan of seatbelts.

But when it comes to my work with the non-profit we started, the only way we separate our fundraisers from others is by taking risks. We’re dedicated to the concept of funlanthropy: We host events that are ridiculously fun and also greatly benefit our work for MS research.

And when you’re promising a good time, you have to deliver. For us, that has meant human claw games where we strap guests into a harness and have them fly over prizes. It’s meant asking celebrities on Twitter if they want to come judge our barbecue events– and having that work sometimes and fail other times.

It has also meant that we have the guts to start programs that haven’t existed before. When we heard the National MS Society didn’t have a program that would supply bikes for people living with MS so that they could participate in Bike MS, we started one. Now, we’ve given over 400 bikes nationwide. People ask us, “How did you start this whole thing?” And the answer is easy: We just did it. It didn’t take anything more than deciding to do it.

I think people hold themselves back and build up these huge barriers for themselves when people say something doesn’t exist. When they hear nobody has done something before. They hear that as a “no.” At Meat Fight, we hear that as a challenge. We always ask how much it would take to start something new. And that kind of risk can lead to life-changing things for others.

When our mission as a non-profit is to inspire people living with MS to take on challenges, how can we sit down when a challenge presents itself? We promise to do everything possible to fight this thing. Which means taking risks is our responsibility.

We fund ground-breaking research. We host ridiculous events. We help people push themselves, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Maybe I should think about riding a rollercoaster and changing my coffee order once in a while, after all.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As the CEO of Meat Fight, Inc., I have the best job in the world. I get to have serious conversations all day long about barbecue, dunk tanks, barbecue dunk tanks, and more. It’s a job that forces a smile. If you end the day super frustrated about something, inevitably you laugh when you tell someone else your troubles because you just can’t keep a straight face when you say something like, “Yeah– I can’t believe the dunk tank rental company won’t let me fill their tank with barbecue sauce. They said it would ‘ruin the machine’ or some bull. Jerks.”

I started off as an advertising copywriter, but I always wanted to write for a paper. Years ago, when I got the opportunity to write a small column for the Dallas Observer, I really fell in love with writing. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to write for D Magazine about everything from the State Fair of Texas to a musical about breast implants.

So, when a Meat Fight event ends, usually a freelance story about something fun begins. The balance is really inspiring and exciting for me right now.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d have to take them to every barbecue joint in the DFW area to start. We’d have to hit up Slow Bone for fried chicken and brisket, and that sweet potato casserole. Then, maybe we’d make a little drive to Goldee’s to give them a taste of the next generation of barbecue greatness.

Then, we’d need to walk it off at White Rock Lake. I’d point out Nick & Nora’s nest and tell them way too much about the eaglets and how they’re about to leave us all because they’re growing up too fast.

Then, we’d sit on the patio at Resident Taqueria for a margarita or we’d head to Vector for a beer.

For sweets, we would stop by Haute Sweets for a macaron, or Dude Sweet Chocolate for something rich.

And of course, if it’s State Fair season, we’d stop by every single Big Tex Choice Award nominee’s station and eat our faces off. Then, end the day with an airbrush t-shirt.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my husband, Mike Laussade, who named Meat Fight and has been by my side creating this great organization from the start. I also want to thank the DFW food and beverage community, because we couldn’t have raised over $3 million for the National MS Society, helped over 800 people living with MS (and counting) and started our endowment with UT Southwestern without their generous support and donations.

Website: https://www.meatfight.com/

Instagram: @meat_fight @aliceluhsod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeatFight/

Other: If you are someone living with MS who is interested in receiving a bike from Meat Fight, Inc. or if you’re a restaurant interested in supporting our events and participating in the competitions we host, email alice@meatfight.com

Image Credits
Photo credits: Jeff Amador, Steve Visneau