Very exciting to be back for Season 8 of The Lead podcast. I have an incredible slate of journalists to share with you this season—my final season as your host.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tony while he was visiting some journalism classes here at Grady a few months back. For some reason, this is one of my favorite interviews I’ve completed for this podcast. Something about Tony’s ability to open up about his honest thoughts and opinions of his career, his work and the industry as a whole I found refreshing.

You may be curious about the title of this episode. We spend some time talking about this piece Tony wrote for Popular Mechanics that I highly encourage you to read. It details not only Tony’s childhood but also the economic perspectives of gas station owners in the United States, like his dad.

Once you’re done reading that piece, give this episode a listen. Glad to be back: