Brett Golliff | Designer, Blogger, Sneaker Extraordinaire

Brett Golliff makes his living as a Lead Designer in Color and Trim at General Motors but it's what he does in his "free time" that makes Brett one of the first people I look to for inspiration. Brett, a graduate of the College for Creative Studies, spent over three years designing athletic shoes at New Balance in Boston before returning to the Detroit-area to work for GM. While the career move may raise a few eyebrows from those that know how footwear-minded Brett is, his passion never waivered.

Since leaving New Balance at the end of 2010, Brett has continued to shape his longtime love for shoes and in doing so, has become a voice in the footwear industry. In addition to leading the aesthetic direction for Color and Trim on some of America's most iconic vehicles, Brett seemingly spends every waking hour blogging, podcasting, and imagining what the future holds for footwear culture and design. His tireless dedication to footwear has provided him opportunities to travel on behalf of the Jordan Brand for exclusive shoe launches as well a chance to do a series of design articles with shoe design legend, Tinker Hatfield. Though his hard work, Brett has become an influence within footwear by providing in-depth reviews of product from a design and performance standpoint. This approach has forced companies to take notice and it's not a surprise to see a few new boxes of shoes in the queue whenever I stop by his place. (The first image shows just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Brett's shoe collection)

While I've had the opportunity to know Brett as a classmate and a friend for some time, his dedication and positive spirit continue to inspire and motivate me now. As 2013 continues to fly by, it's people like Brett who create their own path and sharpen their passions day after day, that inspire me to keep shooting, keep studying my craft, keep networking, and keep putting myself in situations that may bring me even a sliver of good advice or knowledge. I had a lot of fun shooting these images last week with Brett and I plan to continue shooting features like this with the people in my life that inspire me. Those that serve as a voice in my head telling me to get off Facebook, stop watching funny Bulldog videos on Youtube, and identify what it is that my dreams are, and to work like hell to make them my reality.

To see more of Brett's work, check out his website www.brettgolliff.com 

and check out his Tumblr while you're at it.

Special thanks to Brett's wife Stacy for the awesome dinner that followed this shoot, everybody's favorite barber, Berkley Chop Shop, for providing Brett's fresh hairdo, and Eddie the dog (Brett and Stacy's foster dog at the time of the shoot, hope you find a forever home buddy)