In 2017 I met the most influential person of my cocktail journey. This person would encourage and get me invited to all kinds of industry events. They even encouraged me to push the boundaries  of my non-industry job so I could focus more on the industry. While I appreciated them pushing me I knew that wasn't my path. While I knew there was a lot I could learn there was something missing for me, stability.

 

Unfortunately this person would pass away in late 2019. It was the final straw for me. My failures in 2019 related to the work I was doing in the spirits industry out numbered the good. I decided their death was the final straw I needed to put it all behind me, or so I thought. 

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However I couldn't shake it. There was still so much to learn and so much to share. I was out but would attend some events here and there. Then 2020 happened and the hospitality industry was decimated. Safeguards other industries had didn't exist in the hospitality industry and it was apparent. I tried to help raise awareness and move the needle forward. The problem is too many people get rich off of the inequity that currently exists in the hospitality industry. From the normalization of bigotry to harassments to the wage theft. This made me realize maybe my writing days aren't over maybe it's time to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Along the way  I can share some of the things I've learned.