My professional background is anything but straightforward. Looking back through the lens of starting NOTOM, I’m grateful for all the twists and turns. If there’s one common thread that has run through my journey, it’s design—whether I was creating it, selling it, supporting it, or requesting it. I’ve always been drawn to it. Along the way, I’ve had the good fortune of working with exceptional designers, and that exposure sparked my interest in brands, custom apparel, and product creation.

My first business was a small screen-printing operation, run on a rented six-station manual press. It was a ton of work with little profit to show for it, but through that process, I honed my passion for creating. A few years later, that passion led me into product development and sourcing, where I learned the ins and outs of tech packs and overseas production for soft goods and apparel. Some of my favorite moments were the days when final prototypes arrived—holding something that had started as an idea and seeing it come to life was incredibly gratifying.

I’ve always been fascinated by how things look, feel, and function. As a kid, I spent hours flipping through Cabela’s catalogs, obsessing over pocket knives, flashlights, pouches, and packs. Growing up hunting and camping in the Utah backcountry gave me endless opportunities to test gear in the wild. There’s something about everyday carry (EDC) items that just clicks for me. Maybe it’s the preparedness aspect, the aesthetic, or just the satisfaction of fidgeting with well-designed tools. Probably a mix of all three.

The objects we launched with at NOTOM have been on my mind for a long time. Over the years, I picked up ideas, mentally cataloged them, and refined them into something tangible. Each item we create has a distinct shape, size, color, and material—a deliberate mix of form and function. They’re not just tools; they’re symbols. Symbols of stepping into the unknown, pushing past comfort, and doing the things that scare us.

This mindset is at the core of NOTOM, and it will be present in every item we create. Each piece has a story, and in time, they’ll each get their own journal entry. But for now, this is where it all begins.

- Devin