Andrew Hahn
I’m Andrew Hahn Jr. (most people just call me Andrew). I’m a writer, the founder of The Hairy Times, and someone who has worked just about every kind of job you can imagine. This is the short version of how I got here.
Where It Started
I grew up in a family where memories mattered more than possessions, and where the world was something you were meant to explore, not fear. Before I was old enough to drive, I had walked through Dachau, crossed Checkpoint Charlie, stood inside the Pergamon Museum, and wandered the beaches of Majorca. Those experiences didn’t just show me history — they shaped my curiosity and gave me perspective.
What Those Places Taught Me
Seeing the scars of war, the weight of oppression, the beauty of ancient civilizations, and the cultures of people far from home taught me how big the world really is — and how much there is to learn. It taught me that humanity is complicated, fragile, brilliant, and flawed. It taught me that stories matter.
Curiosity in Every Chapter
That curiosity and perspective followed me into every chapter of my life — kitchens, film sets, real estate offices, corporate rooms, fireworks shows, and eventually into the world of media. Each job sharpened a skill. Each experience added a layer. Each moment shaped the way I see people, work, creativity, and conversation.
Career at a Glance
- Culinary: started in restaurant kitchens at 13 and rose to Sous Chef and Corporate Chef; co-created an award-winning hot sauce.
- Real estate and mortgage: licensed Real Estate Broker at 18, one of the first formally licensed Mortgage Brokers in the state, and owner of a mortgage company through the 2008 financial crisis.
- Film and music: gaffer, grip and set construction on more than 30 productions, plus concert security for legendary Denver promoter Feyline.
- Technology: more than eight years in software development with a subsidiary of Accenture.
- Fireworks: nearly a decade as a licensed fireworks display operator, with shows at Coors Field, Empower Field at Mile High, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.
- Publishing: founder of The Hairy Times, an independent news and opinion publication, and Sports By The Balz, its sister sports site.
A Few Stories Behind the Résumé
The kitchen years. I started working in restaurants at 13 and rose to Sous Chef for one of Denver’s top catering companies and Corporate Chef for a chain of sports taverns. Along the way I picked up awards for Pastry & Dessert (1989) and the Chef de Cuisine Mystery Basket competition (1993). In 1994 I co-created Pure Hell hot sauce, which took 1st Place at the Fiery Foods Show in Albuquerque. If you’ve tasted it, you understand the name.
Real estate and mortgage. I earned my Real Estate Broker’s license at 18, one of the youngest in the state to do it, then became one of the first formally licensed Mortgage Brokers when the industry set national standards in the mid-1980s. Later I built my own boutique mortgage company and stayed in the business through the 2008 meltdown.
Lights, camera, crowds. As a gaffer, grip and set builder I worked on more than 30 commercial productions, the feature film Elizabeth: The Story of Baby Doe Tabor, the rock video Attitude Check and a documentary. I also worked concert security for Denver promoter Feyline, including the Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You tour stop at Folsom Field in Boulder in 1981, plus shows for George Thorogood, Heart, Manhattan Transfer, Rickie Lee Jones and many more.
Why I Started The Hairy Times
I had a front-row seat to the 2008 financial crisis; I owned a mortgage company at the time. Every day I was taking in news, opinion, rumor and spin from every direction, and I kept noticing how often the truth got lost in the noise.
That idea stayed with me for years. Today it’s The Hairy Times: an independent online newspaper with no corporate owner, no political advertisers and no paywall. Read the full story on The Hairy Times.
What I Build Today
Today, everything I’ve learned goes into what I build: The Hairy Times, its sports desk Sports By The Balz, and the Rocky Mountain Islands Project. They’re different projects, but they come from the same place: a life built on work, creativity, and conversation.
The Rocky Mountain Islands Project is an idea I’ve carried for a long time: one home for products from vendors all across the Rockies. The “islands” are the mountain towns themselves: Vail, Beaver Creek, Steamboat, Jackson Hole, Crested Butte and the other resorts that dot the range. It’s still taking shape, and I see it growing to include resort vacations through The Hairy Times’ Adventures in Travel and a mountain-inspired clothing line.
Find Me Elsewhere
Have a story tip, an idea, or just want to talk? I read every message myself.