My friend Brian Grayum over at Dark Roast Dawns is the feature of my blog this week. We decided to do a Blog Swap, where we answer similar questions that each other has about the other. His blog, Dark Roast Dawns, is a thoughtful and inspiring set of writings and anecdotes. I’ve known Brian for probably twenty years, since I was a freshmen in high school. Enjoy our dialogue and please check out his blog.
Matt Jo: Give us your current life stage as of today? Brian: I have been married for just over 16 years now, and have two daughters ages 9 and 12. We have a lot of fun together, whether we are having a movie night on the couch, hiking through the woods, or geeking out at Disneyland. I am going on ten years at my current job, which has been a great blessing to our life. I have been playing guitar for 25 years now, and I still love it. Running has become a big part of my life over the last 6 years, and running on the trails is where I have the most fun and find the most insight. Matt Jo: What is your earliest memory of me? Brian: My earliest memory of Matt Jo, this is hard because there are so many memorable moments during our friendship that it is hard to remember the first time. So many good memories from our times together as youth leaders in the high school/middle school ministry. One of my favorite moments with you was during one of our youth group kickoff events where the theme was the grammys or something like that; and you we pretended to be U2 and played Beautiful Day to start off the night. You gave Bono a run for his money! Matt Jo: When did you start your blog? Brian: My first blog was my dad’s online memorial in January of 2016. I had to let a wide array of people know that my dad had passed, and I also wanted people to know how great of a man he was. It was a very healing and energizing experience, and I was encouraged by people who read it or attended the memorial that I should continue to write. Matt Jo: Has your blog changed in terms of writing style or purpose? Brian: The core of what I write about is still rooted in personal growth and self discovery. I believe that we are all searching for our purpose and meaning in life, as well as looking for insight that will help lead us through the tough times of life. I share from my heart, and I try to be as vulnerable and transparent as possible in my blog. I have started to try and focus some of my posts on more specific topics such as minimalism, trail running, and excerpts from books I have read. Matt Jo: When has been the best times for you to write, either day or season of life? Brian: For me, it is definitely time of day and certain days more so than a season of life. I titled my blog Dark Roast Dawns because most of my posts are written in the morning while I sip on some coffee. I tend to be an early riser, so I get to see a lot of sunrises; and I think that inspires me to write. It is always the season of life to write for me. Writing has become a healer, a passion, and an adventure. Matt Jo: What do you find yourself writing about the most? Brian: Inspiration, meaning, purpose, and intentionality. Matt Jo: What is your favorite post? Brian: Here is one of my most recent blogs, and it is currently my favorite, To Be Yourself We need to be who we were meant to be for our sake and the sake of the world around us. Matt Jo: What is one thing you desire people to experience when reading your blog? Brian: Inspiration. I want a reader to be left with a challenge, a comfort, and an excitement to do something. I have found such great inspiration from books and blogs, and I hope to have that same effect on others. Matt Jo: What are your dreams for the future of writing? Brian: I hope that this blog stays a part of my life for a long time, and I hope to get consistent with either weekly or bi-weekly posts. I dream of being able to have this be so much more than a blog, and possibly lead to other opportunities such as becoming an author and/or speaker. Ultimately, all of my dreams come true if I get to be featured on the Last Day of Regret blog.
There you have it, Brian Grayum is on his way to stardom by his featurette here on thelastdayofregret.com. Seriously though, I hope we get to hear more from Brian over at Briangrayum.com. Thank you for your time my friend.