Getting from the Bar to the Boardroom

5 Talk to the Locals

DOI: 10.4324/9781003218258-5

I have always been a big fan of dive bars, the kind of places that most people just walk by in favor of better lighting and more expensive drinks. Without fail, every time I walk into this type of establishment, there is at least one grizzled veteran who has a bar stool with his name on it. They have been through different owners, bartenders, and punks like me who stop through their home turf. I love talking to these guys; they always have a story about what the bar used to be like in the good old days, when a shot wasn’t mixed or chilled, and when they were on top of the world. Now you can’t just walk up and start a conversation with these guys; you need to establish yourself and show them ...