Pray. Eat. Style. 

"Instead of eat, pray love, you're more like eat, pray style." That's what Lauren said after seeing me continuously post about my love for God, any and everything food related, and of course my personal affinity for style. She said this about 7 years ago and those words have stuck with me ever since. This site is a long time coming and a combination of me overcoming fear and finally feeling like I had enough going on in life to share with anyone willing to listen. 

I'm from a small, rural town in North Carolina called Johnsonville. To give you a perspective, when I was growing up we did not have any stop lights, everyone knew everyone, and it seemed like we were all related. My grandfather was a preacher at our local church and I lived on a street that bared my last name (Gilchrist Rd.). Growing up in a small town with a very limited household income naturally helped me develop a wild imagination. This imagination eventually became what I know today as uninhibited creativity. I remember traveling in Florence, Italy in 2014 and stopping inside of the Salvatore Ferragamo museum and taking in as much as I could. One of the most impactful things that I took away from the experience was how poor he grew up and that growing up this way helped him express his creativity as he searched for outlets to free his mind from his daily struggles. Whether it was me writing songs on the back of my mother's magazines or thinking of new ways to wear the same clothes, I was always creating.

I've been fortunate to be able to experience a lot of life and these experiences have shaped how I view the world and how I engage with it. Living in the south of France for four months opened my eyes to how different people in other parts of the world live and how they value time. Studying at an HBCU encouraged me as I was always around ambitious men and women who faced (and still face) similar obstacles in life but still "push through." Living in New York City taught me how to be nimble, adapt quickly, and to think and speak effectively at the same time. Working in fashion taught me how to negotiate, create opportunities, and build strong relationships. Falling in love taught me how to be selfless and to be careful how you treat someone even when you're upset with them and heart-break taught me how to forgive and how to heal. 

Today, I'm a man on a journey to live the best life I can. I'm passionate about people, three-cheese mac and cheese, music that makes you feel, and authenticity.  I don' t know where life's final destination will take me, but I'm enjoying the scenery on the way to getting there.

NOTE: For a formal list of my professional experiences, education, and aspirations, feel free to send me an email or click on "connect." 

M. T-G