This is Eater Voices, where chefs, restaurateurs, writers, and industry insiders share their perspectives about the food world, tackling a range of topics through the lens of personal experience.

I was raised in Philip, South Dakota, a small rural community located 80 miles from the nearest big-box shopping center. I make my living working from home as a software engineer for a large avionics corporation, but about four and a half years ago, my mom, sister, and I became business