30 Years in Banking and Cigar City Stories

In Episode 121, Garrett sits down with Chris Kneer, a retired banker turned author, to discuss his debut novel Bluebird: A Cigar City Thriller. The conversation explores Tampa as a rich setting for fiction, the cultural complexity of Ybor City, and how real-life financial events shaped the book's plot. Chris shares behind-the-scenes details about self-publishing, the audiobook production process, and why he believes storytelling is essential to capturing Tampa’s identity. The episode also covers firsthand insights into the shutdown of community banks, the evolution of SBA lending, and what makes Tampa an emerging creative hub.0:00:00 - Cigar City0:03:54 - Chris Kneer0:13:56 - Ybor City0:35:12 - Writing Bluebird0:52:56 - Banking during 20081:01:44 - Banking during Covid1:12:47 - Bluebird