This episode clocks in at just shy of 14 minutes, which may make me a liar about the title of this podcast. Not really. My Five Minutes has always been about having something to say and taking the time to say it.

In “The Grind,” I am joined by Chris Edwards, otherwise known as Meat, to talk about the daily labor, routine, pressure, and chaos of the restaurant industry. Meat was the chef at Art Boutiki, the music venue I operated until it closed in December 2025, and he saw firsthand the many grinds involved in keeping a venue running.

Later, I share a story from the 1990s about the day Jeff Smith, creator of BONE, walked into my comic book store and pitched us on carrying his book—and what that moment says about the work behind every creative success.