Then up to the Buda Castle district — the cobblestones, Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion. Walk down rather than taking the funicular. The view going down is different from the view going up, and the pace is better. Afternoon at the Great Market Hall at the end of Váci utca — Hungarian salami, paprika, Tokaji wine. Then in the evening, one of the ruin bars in the Jewish quarter. Szimpla Kert if they haven’t been and want to understand what Budapest nightlife actually looks like. Dinner at Chef Jen Rácz’s restaurant (Rumour). He’s one of the best in the country. The kind of meal that makes you wonder why Hungarian food doesn’t have the international reputation it deserves. That’s how I’d end the day. Five people, living or dead, at your dinner table. Who would you invite? My father. He died eight years ago and I think about him every day. I’d want to shake his hand, have one more laugh about something stupid, and tell him what I’ve built. That would be enough. My mother. She held everything together and she still does. She gets a seat at every table I sit at, as far as I’m concerned. My closest friend, who shows up when I come home in a bad mood from a long day and somehow makes it better. She also makes the best cupcakes I’ve ever had. Both things matter. My friend Josh. He has a particular talent for turning a normal Malta evening into something you need the next day to recover from. Every dinner table needs that person. And my 10-year-old self. I’d want him to see that the things that scared him turned out fine. That he didn’t need to worry so much. That he grew into someone his father would have been proud of. Name three things about you that people reading this wouldn’t expect. 1. I’m a workaholic who actually enjoys it. Not the posting-about-hustle version — I genuinely like building things, and building takes time, so that’s where my time goes. 2. I’m more honest than is probably commercially sensible. I’ve walked away from partnerships because I couldn’t write about a brand truthfully. I’ve told potential partners their expectations were off. I once returned a fee because the fit wasn’t right. People in this industry find that surprising sometimes. 3. Other people’s happiness comes before mine, almost automatically. I don’t fully know where that comes from — probably from watching my parents — but it’s been true for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I’d change it. GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES Cocktailspins SEO Red flags that make me walk away from a brand: licensing information that can’t be independently verified, wagering requirements above 40x, withdrawal limits under $500 per transaction. Those aren’t things that improve with a better bonus offer. Fisherman’s Bastion Photo by Noppasin Wongchum/Shutterstock GPWAtimes.org 60
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