Hackensack, 8pm
I’ve been running my own creative projects for a little over six years now. It started with my first ever podcast, The Morning Spotlight, eventually transitioned over to Greetings From the Garden State, included a couple Jersey Fest events, then the more recent addition of Radio Garden State, and now Local Originals. Since October 2023, when I got laid off from my old full time job, these projects have been my life and my main source of income. There have been highs and there have certainly been lows, but that comes with the territory of being an entrepreneur.
But at some point last year the passion and the fire that pushed me and gave me the ability just sort of…vanished. I was tired. I was doing some of the biggest interviews of my life and instead of getting me pumped up, I would feel exhausted. I always felt like I delivered on a quality product, but I knew this was not a sustainable system. If I wasn’t into it, how could I expect any of my listeners or followers to be into it?
Then in late August (if I remember correctly) I saw Hackensack Brewing Co. put up an IG post regarding an open call for bartenders to apply. The idea of going to work, doing a task, getting paid, and going home at that time was incredibly appealing to me. So I got an interview and subsequently the job, and started working one, maybe two, nights per week.
Fast forward to today, I’m still working that job and continuing to fill up my tank. Hackensack has cultivated this incredible community both on the staff side and the patron side of cool, interesting, creative, weird, awesome people that I have really enjoyed getting to know. It’s a place where you can sit and have a beer next to someone in corporate America, a hip hop icon, a blue collar worker, or just a straight-up deplorable and yet there are no egos, no hierarchy, everyone is on a level playing field and that’s expected.
It’s given me a chance to get back to what any of my projects set out to do, give me a chance to listen to people’s stories. No deadlines, no sponsor obligation, no mics, no cameras, just real people talking. What’s better than that?
Hackensack Brewing just celebrated their 7 year anniversary and I was lucky enough to play a small part of it by taking some pictures. Check them out and make sure you stop by, have a beer, and say hey.
