liam james hogan

one year ago, after submitting an exhausting amount of applications out to tech start ups & advertising agencies, i took a shot in the dark & sent an email to info@photomatica.com practically begging for a job from a makeshift “office” that sat beside my bathroom sink in overland park, kansas. two days later (& very much to my surprise), @mattdewalt replied to me directly to schedule an interview & by the end of the week, i was officially hired & one step closer to achieving my life-long dream of moving to california.

this phrase gets used a little too hyperbolically, but matt & @dirtbagdougie’s decision to take a risk on me changed the course of the rest my life- they have done something so much deeper beyond providing me with an income & i am forever grateful to be on the receiving end of their immense kindness.

i came out west in hopes that i might finally become a real man & accidentally brought a lot of my worst habits with me - standing a few weeks away from a full year out here, i can’t help but reflect on what a gift it was to be provided with a strong sense of purpose right as i needed it most & how fortunate i was to spend some of my hardest days surrounded by people who treated me as equal to the task even when i had lost faith in myself.

i don’t mean to suck too much corporate dick but i just love working at @photomatica so much - every day i find myself driving across the bridge full of thoughts of how thankful for doug & matt & lex & max & grande & lb & mischa & lisa & john & all the technicians + attendants that have helped make it all possible. i hope this is just the first of many years spent logging millions of miles in the van from running up & down the 101. 💌