If you've been lucky enough to devour a pizza pie fresh from the brick oven at Roberta's in Bushwick, Brooklyn, you might have lifted your eyes from the charred crust long enough to spy the sound studio that provides a backdrop to one section of the dining room. When it comes to food radio, particularly in the context of a now legendary eatery, it's a shame you can't taste what you're listening to. We could go on about how excellent the concept of Roberta's is, and the fact that it makes a home for such an engaging radio show, but we don't want to delay your introduction to Jack for another moment - he just has too many good things to say, in his own words.

When did you know that you wanted to work in food?

Interestingly enough, I knew very little about the sustainable food movement before working with Heritage Radio Network. Prior to this job, I was working in recording studios and doing sound for film productions so food was something I never considered as a career. It only took a few days of food radio and a few excellent meals to turn me into a believer, and in the three years I've been here I haven't looked back! There are many more conventional studio jobs I could have pursued, but there is something very satisfying about becoming an agent for change in such an important pocket of humanity. Watching my boss Patrick Martins, founder of Slow Food USA, Heritage Foods USA & Heritage Radio Network, work as hard as he does every day helped show me that food jobs are not always ego driven and self serving. I've learned many things from him but the thing that sticks with me most is his passion for making change on a significant level above all else, no matter what it takes. This is what inspires me to make my own mark on the food community.

How did you get your current good food job?

I studied music technology at New York University. When Patrick Martins was looking for somebody to start the radio station, he turned to NYU for an engineer. He hired my good friend and music partner Nat Weiner to build the station, and Nat brought me along as a "backup engineer". Little by little, I would share my ideas and visions for the station with Patrick and would often spearhead projects on my own and in my spare time, sometimes even unpaid. A few months later, I found myself producing more and more shows until eventually I was named Executive Producer. I now run everything at the station - our 25+ weekly shows, website design and maintenance, sponsor accounts, promotions, social media and production of a daily 1-minute food news segment that is syndicated on national radio stations.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

I believe in hard work, no matter what your job is. I was raised by a single mother who worked three jobs to support her two children so my work ethic comes from her. I've been working and paying all of my own bills since I was legally able to. Although my current job doesn't have me working in a kitchen or handling food directly, I understand the value of that labor having worked in a pizza kitchen before. The boss, the chef and the dishwasher should all feel the same way at the end of a work day, otherwise they aren't doing it right.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

I had some terrifying moments sitting at the table with food legends such as Alice Waters knowing NOTHING about food. I grew up with a very limited palette and had to just learn along the way that if somebody offers you something that you THINK you don't like, just eat it!!! Chances are, you'll change your mind. As Jeffrey Steingarten told me, to become a super taster you must taste everything. Aside from my food knowledge anxieties, I can't say that I've ever considered calling it quits. To watch this station grow as it has over the past few years is incredibly inspiring, and every day I go to work I look forward to finding new ways to expand our reach and improve our content.

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?

I think people are afraid to start at the bottom and work their way up. I see so many young enthusiastic foodies who seem to think they can go to culinary school and immediately end up with a successful kitchen job, or come up with an artisanal product idea and end up on the shelves at Whole Foods Market within a year - but it doesn't work that way. There are so many jobs that contribute to our food system that most people don't consider; trucking companies, processing facilities, farms, composting companies, etc. If you're having trouble finding your dream job right away, try to apprentice somewhere, wash dishes, intern - just do whatever it takes to put yourself in a position where you can learn and absorb from those who you look up to. If you have a good work ethic and you are kind and considerate to those around you, nothing will get in the way of your dreams.

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

I am very lucky to be compensated in many ways other than money on a daily basis. I have tagged, engineered and produced almost 2,000 shows on our network in the three years I've been here, which has afforded me an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the most interesting and intelligent people in the world. There is no substitute for good education and every day I discover more about food and the way it affects our planet. I hope to continue along this path and become a part of the significant change we so desperately need. (It also doesn't hurt getting some delicious freebies from Roberta's & Heritage Foods USA!!)

We love Jack's story of stumbling into a good food job from a vastly different end of the career spectrum. Are you an accidental food worker too? We want to hear your story.