Andy and I first met in 2017, when I spoke with him about a job at Industry Dive and he called a few days later offering me the position. Throughout job and company changes, we stayed in touch all these years, and I’m incredibly grateful for the many memories we shared. Here are a few of my favorites:

— One day, I told Andy I was interested in getting into espresso making. His expression turned serious. “Do you want to really learn to pull shots or do you just want lousy cappuccinos from pressing a button?” The former, I replied. His eyes lit up with so much joy. Oh boy, the wisdom he was about to impart upon me. Over subsequent meetings, we talked about grinder quality and grind size, portafilters, coffee beans, ratios, brew pressure, tamping, and so much more. He recommended his favorite resources and websites for learning about coffee and purchasing supplies. Andy had a spare, older espresso machine that he brought to my house and let me keep for months to practice. He’d also bring me coffee beans he had roasted and we’d compare tasting notes. He shared his own trials and tribulations, like trying to roast beans outside with freezing cold hands in the middle of winter, or serving his in-laws a perfectly brewed cup of coffee only for them to say “It’s good, like McDonald’s.” We would often text each other memes, article links, or YouTube videos about coffee. And still today, every time I drink espresso, I think about how it would rank on Andy’s signature Sherman scale. 

— Andy and I had a tradition called W(h)ine Wednesdays. That’s exactly how we wrote it on the calendar. In the pre-pandemic days, we would go to a restaurant called Rare next to the ID office and order glasses of wine and garlic knots. Like Andy’s affinity for coffee, I have one for wine. I’d share my notes on the wine we were tasting, and Andy would feign interest. Then, we would whine about whatever was on our minds. It was therapeutic, but it was also a way for us to brainstorm ways to solve problems, and sometimes look at them from an angle we hadn’t previously seen. I think it challenged both of us with new ways of thinking. I always loved how open-minded Andy was to pausing and thinking from a new point of view. 

— At an Industry Dive party once, Andy and I got to talking about pretty much everything under the sun. At one point, a staff member at the event site came over and said, “sir, no rush, just call me over when you’re ready to leave and I’ll unlock the elevator.” At that point, we looked around, and realized everyone else had left! It was just the two of us, deeply engrossed in conversation about life, and a few event staff who probably couldn’t wait for us to leave so they could close up. Oops … 

— When I had an offer to leave Industry Dive for a new opportunity, I was filled with mixed emotions. Andy immediately offered to talk it through. We chatted on the phone for more than an hour as I went through my thoughts. He was an impeccable listener who always had this ability to steer people in a way that didn’t tell them what to do, but guided them to make the right decision for themselves. When I eventually came around on making the leap to the new opportunity, he was unbelievably supportive. Well, except for one thing. My new boss was also named Andy. Andy jokingly dubbed him “Evil Andy” and we referred to him that way from then on. Evil Andy later laid off my entire team, so I think this nickname turned out to be correct 🙂

When I describe Andy to acquaintances, I usually just say “my former boss.” When I tell closer friends, it’s usually something like “my former boss who was obsessed with coffee.” But in reality, Andy was so much more than that. He was also obsessed with making pizza. Just kidding — he was also a mentor, a support system, a sounding board, a confidant, a bright spot in every day, and a friend. I can only hope I was a fraction of the same to him.

In one of our last conversations, I told him it had been too long since we talked and I was embarrassed for not reaching out more often. His response: “Life moves fast. Don’t feel embarrassed. Sometimes all we can do is not forget our friends, and keep pursuing each other. I’m thankful for your friendship.”

Indeed, life is too quick and too short. I’m so thankful to have known Andy.