When I graduated college, I was pretty much resigned to be a drone for a Fortune 500 company, 40 hours a week for 40+ years. Real life would be lived nights and weekends. But things often don't turn out like you planned. And that can be a good thing, a very good thing. I'm a Fortune 500 refugee. Real life is lived 24/7 (like it or not).

Since 1994, I have been involved with The Grey Lodge Pub. We started off as a real Mom & Pop (minus the Mom) corner business (located in the middle of the block). Not having any money or many hands to help with the lifting, The Grey Lodge had a lot of me embedded in it. It still does, but we're a bit bigger now and it takes a team to run the place. I like being part of a team.

Over the years The Grey Lodge has managed to get a little bit of recognition, including being named one of Esquire's Best Bars in America. Local and national recogniton is really nice, but keeping our customers happy is always the primary goal.

Since 2010, I have been involved with Hop Angel Brauhaus. It's a real team effort there too, and I am not the squeekiest wheel. Squeeky for sure, but not the squeekiest.

If I was a better business person, I would be richer for sure, but probably not happier.