We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesse Anderson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesse below.

Jesse, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I dropped out of college and moved across country with a couple week notice to work in media and learn as much as I could about outdoor marking. After doing this for a few months I decided to do it myself and move back to Michigan and start my own businesses. I learned that the best teacher is experience so I needed to just do it and learn as I go. Leaving College when everyone told me not to and thought it was a bad idea was gonna be risky. Then moving across country alone with no family or friends near me just to make it work for myself was a huge unknown risk for me to take.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

If there is anything too know about me it is that I love anything outdoors. From hunting, fishing, hiking, snowboarding, spear fishing, diving and just about anything outdoors exciting. I have grown up in the outdoors fishing and canoeing down any river we came across. Its been more then just hobbies and interests but just my way of life. In my early school years I was chasing my dreams of fishing professionally and in my college years I finally made it happen. But I was missing all the other interests of mine and wanted to do more. I loved hunting as well but was not able to find much time for it. In 2017 I decided to drop out of school and start my own career. I never felt right working for others or the daily 9-5 lifestyle.

In 2018 I started my business venture with Grizz Media. The name came from many nicks names in my life from bear, grizzly adams, grizzly man, grizzly guy and grizzman. The grizzly bear has been a favorite animal of mine as well and it was all just fitting. My first client actually was Grizzly coolers and it just felt like it was meant to be.

At Grizz Media we do everything from photography, videography, social media management and marketing, graphic design, brand development and just about anything content or marketing. We help brands and businesses grow and develop in the outdoor industry. We work mainly in the hunting, fishing and tactical industry. It stared as just me for a few years and now we are a team of 5. Myself, Andrew B, Josh H, Logan P and Koby O is our team. All in our mid 20s with the love of creation and the outdoors.

Our plan is to partner with the best brands in the industry to build relationships and gain opportunities to experience our love for the outdoors even more. I would like to build this business up to a team of 10 and have lots of other businesses and brands to develop.

How’d you meet your business partner?

One day I was hunting and forgot my pack at the public land parking lot and it had all my camera gear and wallet in it. Over 10k worth of gear in it. The next day I went back to go looking for it and it was gone. Few hours later after panicking I got a call from a old friend from school who had a friend that found the bag. We did not know each there but were connected by a mutual friend. We spoke on the phone and met back at the public land where he returned the bag to me. We started talking hunting and fishing for hours and just became good friends since then. Andrew helped me with photos an hunts for the next year or so until it grew enough where I brought him on the team to help me grow the business.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Since I was so new to this business and industry I failed over and over but learned from me mistakes along the way. I made some bad decisions and wrong choices that made me loose a few clients and miss opportunities. At this time I could not afford more mistakes and less clients since I was all on my own with this. But I had to keep going and I was not gonna give up on my goals and my business. I sacrificed so much and worked so hard to get what I had, there was no way I was gonna let this ruin me. As long as you don’t give up you cant really fail or loose, its only things to learn and experience to gain.      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.grizz.media
• Instagram: @grizz_media
• Facebook: grizz media
• Linkedin: grizz media
• Youtube: Grizzhunt
• Other: @thegrizzmen on Instagram @jesserayanderson on Instagram

Image Credits
Jesse Anderson Logan Romney