About Nicholas

I grew up in a small, midwest, blue collar town. I was an above average athlete but not quite tall, strong or fast enough to play beyond high school. I grew up with a heart condition that was corrected via open heart surgery at age 19. While I gained a new sense of freedom I also lost a part of my identity.

I always enjoyed the arts, especially musicals. Apparently I had some talent but was too busy bouncing a basketball or swinging a golf club to properly pursue my creative interests.

I got two A+s in college. Folk music and piano but I ended up graduating with an accounting degree and a job as an auditor at Price Waterhouse. Can you say, pragmatic?

I was married for twenty years. The length of time doesn’t mean anything good or bad. I eventually realized we were on different paths and wanted different experiences in life.

We struggled to start a family. Plenty of people do. We eventually had twins via IVF but unfortunately our babies came too early. I started Graham’s Foundation in memory of my son. The parenting journey is a challenging road to navigate no matter the circumstances!

I built a couple of custom homes with the help of architects and contractors. One in Hermosa Beach, CA and one in Perrysburg, OH. Both were built with great thought and care with an emphasis on being proportional and efficient but looking back, I wouldn’t do it again because I also tore down two structures in the process.

Throughout much of my adult life I have been focused on success as my measure. I had grand visions of being a benevolent philanthropist. As I’ve grown older, and hopefully wiser, I have learned that my desires for personal and professional success led me to unhealthy expansions of everything in my life. The pursuit of more, more of everything, is why, I suspect, we humans are on a bullet train to our own demise.

I am intentionally shrinking my footprint, continually challenging my minimalist ways to be a more thoughtful and conscious human being, with a goal of giving my community and the planet more energy than I take.

I have become far more clear in my beliefs the more I grow to understand how our consumptive and capitalist ways are impacting the health and well being of our communities and our planet. As a citizen of the United States, I feel an obligation to do my part to help change the trajectory of our planet.

With these beliefs, I am experimenting with a men’s accessory line I created called Pocktie. We use recycled ties to create pocket squares and boutonnieres. Our goal is to operate as a cooperative, working with local resources, paying living plus wages and sharing in the risk and return. I love the creative outlet and the people I work with and hopefully we have a chance to demonstrate a circular fashion company that works for everyone.

I write songs to express what I want to say. I create art to express what I feel. I’ve started to write some stand up comedy to poke fun at myself and the world around me. Who knows what I’ll do next?