From Towels to an Unpurchasable Experience
Growing up in Memphis, my favorite basketball player was Mike Conley. When he got traded to the Utah Jazz, I knew his homecoming game would be a special moment. Instead of just watching from the stands, I decided to do something memorable without waiting for permission.
The Opportunity I Saw
I had learned how to make custom sneakers at a workshop in New York called the Shoe Surgeon. It was an expensive course—about $3,000—but it gave me an incredible skill. When I heard about Conley's return game, I spotted my chance to create something special.
I decided to make custom Jordan 1s using playoff towels I had collected from games I attended growing up. These weren't just any sneakers; they were physical memories of the playoff runs that Conley had led us through.
40 Hours of Craftsmanship
The project took around 40 hours of painstaking work, carefully cutting and stitching the playoff towels onto the Jordan 1 frame. I wasn't doing this to launch a sneaker business or get famous—I just wanted to create something meaningful that connected my craftsmanship with my admiration for Conley.
I shared my progress on Twitter, asking people to help me connect with Mike when he came to town. The post started gaining traction in the Memphis community.
The Unexpected Connection
What happened next demonstrates the power of permissionless projects. Chris Vernon, a media commentator for the Grizzlies, saw my tweets going viral. He was trying to get Mike Conley on his show while Mike was in town. He reached out to me and suggested we collaborate—he'd help me deliver the shoes if Mike would stop by his studio.
It was a perfect alignment of interests. On the day of the game, I was sitting outside with the sneakers in my backpack when Conley walked past me. I could have handed them to him right then, but I waited for the proper moment where I could truly connect rather than just making a quick handoff.
An Unpurchasable Experience
The result? I ended up spending the entire day with Mike Conley—an experience you literally couldn't buy. I got to hang out with him and other core players, having conversations and sharing the story behind the sneakers. What started as a creative project resulted in a day I'll never forget.
The Lesson: Outcome Independence
The most important learning from this experience wasn't about networking or career advancement. It was about doing the work because you enjoy the process, regardless of the outcome.
As I tell people now: "If you do it for the outcome, you're already doing it for the wrong reasons." I was completely fine with taking an L on this project. If nothing came of it, I'd still have an awesome pair of custom sneakers to display in my office. The fact that it led to meeting my basketball hero was an incredible bonus.
This permissionless project taught me the value of taking initiative, doing quality work, and being patient for the right moment. You never know where your creative efforts might lead when you take action without waiting for approval.
