The Mensch Show with Brian Friedman

On the show today, I had the opportunity to talk to one of my best friends of all time Brian Friedman, who I had met on his first day at SUNY Binghamton in the Summer of 1994 when he tried out for the Jazz Band as this hot young drummer from Long Island. There are work buddies, there are colleagues, there are friends, and then there are the lifers; the legacy non-biological “family” members who stick by you through thick and thin. These are relationships where you each know the other one better than you know yourself; Someone for whom the idea of “May our secrets die with us” underscores your love and trust. Brian pretty much lived my cancer diagnosis and treatment first hand with me the entire time and was one of those anchor friends who — unlike some other folks — did not abandon me. Rather, he doubled down, stood by my side, was there for me, and — when necessary — held my head over the toilet when I was uncontrollably puking from cancer treatment. Brian is a true renaissance man continually reinventing himself with an audacious self-awareness about fear, failure, and regret that has driven him to achieve incredible things and inspire me all along the way. He’s a rock. He’s a mensch. He was Best Man at my wedding. And I hope you enjoy our throwback chat. Enjoy the show. More about Brian at https://www.b-freed.com.

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