Daily Grinds

• #GrindItOut

  This is how our coffee lives.

  We know that Death Wish Coffee lives in the day-to-day grind of thousands of people who's stories are unique and important to tell. Whether they are a blacksmith, like Elisa Coakley-Koch, or a boxing coach like Tyrone Jackson, we take each and every one of these stories and our part in them, very seriously. #GrindItOut is a celebration of the Death Wish community, and what they do every day.

• Mike Gentile

  Farrier

  Mike Gentile didn't set out to have a 40-year career with horses, but after a few random turn of events, it became his passion. Every day he drives around to the stables working with horses, all of which he knows by name and demeanor. It's a grind that's not easy, both physically and mentally, but if he has it his way, he'll be doing it for the rest of his life. 

• Eric Penderleith

  Carpenter

  Carpentry is one of the oldest trades in the world. It's something that Eric Penderleith, now a business owner and self-sustaining wood worker, resisted most of his life. After changing course for a decade, three years ago, he opened a furniture design company in the Hudson Valley, taking the leap to create furniture under his own name. Now instead of suits and meetings, his grind includes lots of coffee, wood chips and fulfillment. 

• Bethany Watson

  Radio Co-Host

  If the name Bethany Watson doesn't ring a bell, her voice might. She's one of the hosts of the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, which has millions of daily listeners across the United States.  Her life -- living in New York City, meeting celebrities, attending parties -- may seem glamourous but waking up at three am every day and working into the night for events and appearances is a grind like no other. And though, the hours are crazy and the mental demand is stressful, her motivation (aside from copious amounts of coffee) is her connection to the listeners.

• Rory Moran

  Chef/Restaurant Owner

  For most people, the restaurant industry is a familiar place. In the last ten years alone, one in twelve people were employed in various kitchens across the country. Most of these people have as many horror stories of a life waiting on angry customers, as they do funny ones after long nights with co-workers who quickly become family. Rory Moran, Owner and Head Chef of Comfort Kitchen in Saratoga Springs, NY has set out to make his restaurant the latter. The concept for his kitchen is local, ethically sourced comfort food that tastes as good as it feels. His small staff works together toward a common goal: work hard, make great food, and always keep it fun.

• Ron Greico

  Barista

  Coffee is an industry that has dozens of moving parts to make it function. Not least of which is the barista. This is why we spent the day with Ron Grieco, long-time barista, and co-owner of two Stacks Espresso Bar's in Albany, NY. His life didn't start in coffee, and honestly, it took him a while to come around to it. It wasn't until he was ready to move on from drugs and alcohol, that he fell in love with the industry and all that it had to offer. Now, he owns two coffee shops, both fully staffed with wonderful people that have become coffee experts themselves. He wakes up early and stays up late because it's his grind and he loves it (the caffeine helps too).

• Elisa Coakley-Koch

  Blacksmith

  We spend the day with Elisa Coakley-Koch, a self-employed blacksmith in upstate New York. In her profession, Elisa understands exactly what it means to grind it out (she literally grinds metal all day). Her story starts in Minneapolis where she developed a love of putting metal to the hammer and flame, and quickly grew into a job that’s allowed her to carry out the legacy of one of the oldest professions in the world. Between the obvious dangers of the job and the hours and concentration that it takes to get the work done, Elisa’s day might be difficult and tiring but it’s what she loves to do.  

• Pete and Mel Clark

  Tattoo Artists

  As far as art goes, tattooers have one of the most difficult canvas's to work on: the human body. Not only are they transferring their work onto a living, breathing person, it's also going to be a part of that person's life every day for the rest of it. For Pete and MelClarke, married tattooers in Albany, NY,  it's a responsibility that they don't take lightly. Having met in the tattoo shop, their love of the craft grew alongside their love of each other, and now they work at the same shop creating together. We spent the day with them to find out what goes on when two people live together, tattoo together and... drink really strong coffee together.

• Tyrone Jackson

  Boxing Coach

  Wake up, exercise, train, go to work, work all day, back to the gym, train, sleep, repeat. Sounds exhausting, right? This is the routine that former boxer, now coach, Tyrone Jackson, has had every day for the last 20 years, and he loves it. When he was ten years old, Tyrone picked up boxing as a way to discipline himself. After competing professionally for a number of years, he transitioned into coaching where he found his real passion. On top of training twice a day at the gym, Tyrone's other side of life includes his day-to-day as a manager at a local market, where he's been for 20 years. 

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