We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Dobrozsi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Deciding to buy Fireside Pizza from the previous owners was predicated on a simple thought; I really, really wanted to be my own boss. I was willing to sacrifice almost all aspects of my work-life balance in service to the reality of working for myself. That meant a lower salary, more hours, more stress, less vacation time, and a hundred other compromises in order to fulfill the promise of being my own boss. It’s been four years since I took over this business, and I’m still learning new lessons every day about how to treat myself well while simultaneously run a “successful” business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
One of the things I’m most proud of is how we are able to advocate for causes that we feel are worthwhile. Most businesses stay away from politics but we’ve always been passionate about putting politics forward. We have signs in our property around election times, we host election night watch parties, we hold events for local political groups, and we are able to advocate for causes that we think are morally worthwhile. Most businesses tend to shy away from this sort of thing; I’m proud that we never have.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite restaurants are Salazar, Kiki, The Oriental Wok, Eli’s BBQ, The Pickled Pig, and El Camino bakery. For out of towners, I’d say a walking tour of the Banks is a neat way to see the stadiums and you definitely have to visit Jungle Jim’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Elias Leisring and Drew Simmons are the founders and owners of Eli’s BBQ in Cincinnati, OH. They were my bosses before I took over Fireside, and they sold the business to me. They’ve both been instrumental in teaching me so many important lessons about work-life balance, and how to treat your employees. I owe them not only my ownership of my business, but also the lessons I learned along the way that have allowed me to have some modest success here.

Website: http://www.firesidepizzawalnuthills.com

Instagram: Firesidepizzawh

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