Why I Started Evergray

In the summer of 2016, Evergray Media (originally called ‘Bast’, but then changed for SEO purposes), was born out of a desire to channel all of my seemingly random life experiences, and build them into something bigger.

I wanted to channel them into something that gave me more freedom and created more value. I wanted the freedom to work when I was the most productive, (I'm a big-time night owl), the freedom to be as creative as possible, and the fulfillment in having super meaningful work - and I wanted to leave a mark on the world.

That summer, I figured out exactly the type of boss that would squeeze the best work out of me - me.

The only authority figure - between bosses, instructors, and coaches - that I blossomed under and didn’t want to eventually kick out from behind the steering wheel was Oscar. Oscar was my soccer coach for many years, and Oscar let me do whatever I felt necessary, because he believed in me unconditionally. 

I’d pick my position on the field, sub out when I wanted, sub back in when I wanted, relax when I wanted - he was hands-off. This let me build my own momentum at my own pace, and kindle my fire instead of putting it out by wondering if my authority figure was upset about something random or suspected my mutiny. From a team perspective, I played my absolute best under Oscar, so for the most part, everyone was happy that I kept scoring goals & helped out the team offensively. It was a win-win. 

In addition to the freedom - O, the Freedom - there was meaning and value. I developed communication skills, leadership skills, understood how to lose, and formed deep bonds & core memories with my teammates without any overtones of resentment. So when I started Evergray, I wanted to create deep, meaningful work that changed peoples' lives, and shaped the world into a better form. This is tough to do when you're an employee working for someone else's mediocre vision. (There's nothing wrong with wanting a nice, quiet life where you make just enough waves - that just wasn't for me.)

I’d always thought that I’d start my own business, but assumed that’d it’d be in my 30s, after seemingly countless years of education and working for a corporation before finally mustering up the courage and vision. Instead, I found myself a single mom in my 20s, three quarters of the way through a Business degree, working as a mortgage loan officer, and feeling a pull of something so much stronger than me that it just had to manifest. 

And it did.