My Story

A collage of three childhood photos of a young boy with light skin, wearing different hats and casual clothes, smiling and looking in various directions outdoors and indoors.

Childhood Beginnings

From the beginning I believed presentation mattered. At 8, I put together the most stylish outfit I could imagine — hoping it would win over a girls heart. It didn’t, she picked another boy, and my little heart was shattered. I didn’t know it at the time but I was desperately seeking to have an emotional connection and soothing from a woman. This unconscious drive sent me on a journey of seeking love outside of myself.

Two men stand near a cream-colored car outside a building at night, engaged in conversation, with neon signs in the background.

My dream was to go to fashion school in LA where I grew up. Instead I ended up studying interpersonal communication in college and loving it. It was the first place I felt at home to be me. At the time I was working at a boutique clothing store, and during my off hours I was pursuing a career in acting. I thought that if every body else loved me I’d finally love myself.

Two photos of people speaking at events; the left photo shows a man with a microphone in front of a drum set, and the right photo shows three people sitting with microphones, in front of a green wall and white background with text.

By 33, I wasn’t styling anymore. I was helping high-performing men and women break patterns, heal shame, and lead their lives, and speaking on stages across the country. The work was deep, emotional, powerful.

But something was missing— I didn’t feel secure in myself and it was affecting how I showed up with women and I felt like I was trying to portray an image of what I was suppose to dress like.

A screenshot of a photo collage labeled "2019 - 2020" showing two images: one of a man with a beard wearing sunglasses and a hat inside a car, and the other of a mountain landscape with rocky cliffs and blue sky.

Complete breakdown occurs. Relationship ends and my dark nights of the soul start to happen. I was disconnected from my body and my business didn’t feel fun and rewarding to me. I was lost, and so I went to Mexico for a month and that started a deeper look within.

Even with all the psychology and inner personal communication work, I felt worthless, and I was out of touch with my creativity. Life got dark, covid hit, I discovered I had a different biological family than I was told growing up. But I didn’t give up...

A man with a beard, wearing sunglasses, a black cap that says 'no-comply,' and wireless earbuds, taking a selfie outdoors against a beige building and a tree. In the background, a white Porsche SUV is parked on a street with clear blue skies and green trees.

I even purchased my dream car.

The Climb Back

In 2021, I came full circle. With help, I climbed my way out of the dark hole I was in. I reconnected with myself and my creativity was flowing. I founded and launched Strangers Only. I was aligned in my coaching business and designing clothes. I was smiling inside and out.

A collage of images related to fashion and retail. The top row features three photographs: the first shows a room with a red neon sign reading "Strangers Only HQ" and clothing on the floor; the second is an outdoor shopping area with plants and clothing displays; the third depicts a boutique with wooden walls, clothing on racks, and hats on the wall. The bottom row includes images of a store window with clothing and signage titled "Swim and Post Swim," a man with a beard and tattoos smiling in a clothing store, and a white wall with hanging clothes and the text "Strangers Only Nordstrom"

What I Know Now

Style saved me before I had the words for it. At eight years old, getting dressed was an act of hope. As a man, it became an act of identity.

What I've learned, through creating brands, designing clothes, studying identity, and doing the hard internal work, is that style and self-possession are not separate conversations. They never were.

When a man is styled with intention, he's not thinking about clothes. He's deciding who he is. He's energetically sending out a pulse. He's stepping into alignment between what he feels inside and what the world sees outside.

That alignment is rare. And when a man finds it, he moves differently and feels differently. Simply put, he is alive and awake in the moment. And people crave being around that kind of gentleman.

APPLY NOW

That leads us to today. The story is still being created and lived. The brand exist because I’ve lived on both sides of this. The man who looked stylish and felt empty, and the man who finally feels like himself when he gets dressed in the morning.

I'm a Creative Director. A Designer. A man who has spent years studying what it means for a man to inhabit his own aesthetic fully and unapologetically.