In this high-energy episode of In The Hype Seat, Holly Meyer Lucas is joined by Steven Fondu, the dynamic restaurateur behind Ara - Jupiter, Florida's hottest new restaurant on Cypress Drive ("Cy Dri"). Ara has rapidly become the destination for foodies and trendsetters, fueled by Steven’s passion, authenticity, and fresh approach to hospitality.

From playing college baseball at Furman University to creating Jupiter’s vibrant dining scene, Steven’s journey is marked by hustle, heart, and bold risks. He shares the inside story of leaving NYC to launch Ara in South Florida during the pandemic, turning the former Crosby Kitchen into a sleek spot that combines big-city dining flair with small-town warmth.

A key highlight is Steven’s discovery of Chef Kayla, whose culinary creativity became central to Ara’s Mediterranean-inspired menu. Steven vividly recalls tasting her food for the first time and knowing he’d found the perfect chef for his vision.

Steven’s leadership style, emphasizing genuine gratitude, team unity, and collaboration, sets Ara apart. His vision for Cy Dri is a thriving culinary hub, built on cooperation rather than competition, believing neighboring successes boost everyone.

🎥 Episode Highlights:

• Steven’s path from baseball to restaurant success
• Transforming Crosby Kitchen into Ara
• Finding Chef Kayla and crafting the standout menu
• Unique leadership and team-building insights
• Future vision for Ara and Cypress Drive

📖 Full blog: inthehypeseat.com

🌐 Connect:

• Ara: arajupiter.com | IG: @arajupiter
• Holly: hollymeyerlucas.com | IG: @holly.meyer.lucas

🎙️ Produced by PodPlus, Jupiter, FL: podplusstudios.com

🔎 Tags: Steven Fondu, Ara Jupiter, entrepreneurship, hospitality, leadership, business advice, Cypress Drive, Palm Beach dining

#InTheHypeSeat #StevenFondu #AraJupiter #Entrepreneurship #FineDining #Leadership #RestaurantSuccess #Hospitality #JupiterFlorida

Celebrity artist Kyle Lucks is the man about town in Palm Beach, Florida and the artist of the moment! His paintings of professional athletes, historical icons, and cultural legends hang in sports stadiums, arenas, and private collections around the world. He’s painted everyone from Coco Gauff, Beyonce, Jack Nicklaus, Rick Ross, and Serena Williams, to Donald Trump, Jackie Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln.

In this episode of In The Hype Seat, host Holly Meyer Lucas sits down with celebrity portrait artist ⁨Kyle Lucks for a raw, funny, and authentic conversation that covers lots of bases including the pressures of painting faces everyone knows, Kyle's career-defining commissions, how he builds storytelling, energy, and emotion into every layer he paints, and what it’s like to be the “it” artist of the season in Palm Beach.

They talk about his Artist in Residence grand exhibition, his collaboration with the white hot U.S. Polo Association, and they dive into what it is like working together behind the scenes at Hype Boss, where Holly and her team run Kyle's social media strategy, PR, and brand visibility.

In this episode, Holly and Kyle unpack:

• Kyle's creative process behind his most iconic portraits
• The pressure of painting celebrities faces that everyone knows, and getting them just right
• The now-infamous ⁨Jimmy Buffett lyric mistake
• Holly's annoyance about Kyle's Rick Ross painting going viral
  and why Taylor Swift and Michael Jordan still haven't made it to Kyle's canvas yet.

If you're curious about what it's like being a full-time professional artist in 2025, or what it means to turn iconic moments into works of art - this episode is for you.

🎨 See Kyle’s work, browse prints, and purchase originals: https://www.kylelucks.com
📍 Recorded at PodPlus, Jupiter, Florida: https://www.podplusstudios.com
🎧 Produced by Hype Boss | https://www.hypeboss.com

Learn more about In The Hype Seat podcast here.
Follow Holly Meyer Lucas: https://www.instagram.com/holly.meyer.lucas
Follow Kyle Lucks: https://www.instagram.com/kylelucksfineart

🔔 Hit FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for more real, raw, high-energy conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, and business leaders who are shaping the future.

Welcome to In The Hype Seat—the podcast that mics up some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, business owners, and creators to uncover the unfiltered stories behind their biggest wins, toughest lessons, and breakthrough moments. Hosted by Holly Meyer Lucas, serial entrepreneur, branding expert, and founder of Hype Boss, this show delivers the real, raw, no-BS conversations you won’t hear anywhere else.

From personal branding to building a business from scratch, from scaling companies to navigating contracts, this podcast is your playbook for success—whether you’re launching your first venture, leveling up your brand, or fighting to protect what you’ve built.

In this episode, Holly Meyer Lucas sits down with Ariella Sherman on her last day as the Marketing Director for Meyer Lucas Companies. Ariella is better known online as @never_not_eating_, and this candid conversation is all about career pivots, building influence, and what it really takes to grow something from the ground up.

Ariella was Holly’s Marketing Director for three years, playing a central role in building the award-winning Meyer Lucas Real Estate Team, helping launch The Mother Ship, scaling Holly’s Real Estating platform, and building the PR, marketing, and creative agency Hype Boss from the round up. Before Ariella joined Meyer Lucas, she was widely known as a successful local influencer, carving out a unique space in South Florida’s food and hospitality scene, and becoming one of South Florida’s go-to foodie influencers when new restaurants launch or new hospitality concepts open.

This episode dives into how Ariella went from getting her masters degree in mental health counseling and being a licensed therapist, to pivoting her career into becoming an elite digital marketer without a traditional background in branding or social media – just hustle, curiosity, and relentless follow-through. She shares her experience running marketing inside the fast-growing Meyer Lucas companies, her thoughts on influencer culture, and the behind-the-scenes of being @never_not_eating_.

Recorded on her final day with the team, this episode is part farewell, part masterclass, and all heart.

🔑 What You'll Hear in This Podcast Episode:

• How Ariella pivoted from mental health counseling to marketing
• The origin story of @never_not_eating_ and her accidental influencer career
• Building the Meyer Lucas Real Estate Team into a national top producer
• Launching Hype Boss and managing multiple brands from behind the scenes
• The real dynamics of “media dines” and local influencer strategy
• Thoughts on burnout, leadership, and making space for personal life
• Her marketing advice for small business owners and creators in 2025

🎧 This Episode Is Recommended For:

Marketing professionals, small business owners, influencers, content creators, real estate teams, career changers, and anyone navigating building a brand while juggling multiple roles.

📲 Listen to more In The Hype Seat episodes at:
https://www.inthehypeseat.com

🌐 Holly’s Website:
https://www.hollymeyerlucas.com

📸 Follow Ariella:
https://www.instagram.com/never_not_eating_

📸 Follow Holly:
https://www.instagram.com/holly.meyer.lucas