| The
Entrepreneur, the Visionary and the Dreamer |
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Issue
Date: July 1, 2004
Story and Photos by Bart Montgomery
1st Photo: Sean stands with a vintage cabin he and a friend
have erected on his property at Big Hollow. Much of the wood
is from antique barns that he has salvaged.
2nd Photo: Always one to preserve history, Sean purchased this
little jewel from the once infamous restaurant on south Grand.
Now it greets visitors at he and Kristen’s home.
3rd Photo: This penguin is one of the many projects Sean has
worked on over the years. This particular one will have a Dr.
Suess theme. His favorite sits outside the
Tulsa Regional Medical Center.
He doesn’t just think outside the box. He often thinks outside
the universe. He’s not afraid to fail because failure means
an attempt to succeed took place. He’s an enigma that stands
in the shadow of reason. His mind is like that of a calculus
problem and a nursery rhyme, if the two were ever to collide
with one another. He’s like a mystery that’s been solved but
never explained. Sean Griffin is a man who believes that for
everything lost, something is gained. He is a warrior whose
weapon is not violence, but instead, presence. Welcome to his
world. Where sometimes imagination and reconciliation are one
in the same.
“I have no fear. I believe I can do anything. Where most people
stop right at the edge, I’m willing to step off,” said Sean
with a tone of passion in his voice.
This third generation Californian grew up in San Jose. His childhood
was often a potpourri of confusion and madness. It wasn’t just
that he didn’t fit in the system, the system had no respect
for this struggling youth that it helped to corrupt. Sean’s
mother fought for her son, even striving for legislative changes.
She made a great deal of sacrifices while Sean often felt like
the sacrificial lamb.
“It’s against all odds that I’m sitting here with you today,”
said Sean.
As a young boy he was like a magnet to older and wiser people.
It was in their company that he felt most comfortable. At 13-years-old
Sean was already an Architectural Illustrator. He learned to
draw from his father who was an Architect as well. Specializing
in trees, shadows and roofs, not only was he good at drawing,
he was extremely productive.
At 18 Sean found himself as the manager of a local Safeway store.
It was a period of his life when his artistic and creative talents
shined through like sunlight invading a weeping willow tree.
He took merchandising displays to a whole new level, entering
every contest available. There wasn’t one in which he didn’t
take First Place.
In 1992, after nine years with Safeway, Sean hit a wall of uncertainty
and despair. It was one of those crossroads in life when the
street signs seem to be lacking a few letters. His spirits were
lifted though when a man named Ross Perot decided to run for
president. Sean sold his house and went up and down the west
coast campaigning for the candidate. Although Perot dropping
out of the race broke his heart, he never forgot what got his
blood pumping in the first place.
“Ross Perot was a breath of fresh air. He was really genuine,”
said Sean.
The experience seemed to be a good motivational tool as Sean
co-founded a company called The 5th Medium I.C. The interactive
communications company utilized state-of-the-art wireless keypad
technology to get instant results at large scale public meetings
and town hall events. The projects weren’t only exciting, they
were rewarding as well.
“It was about making a difference. Following my journey, my
faith,” said Sean.
At one mock United Nations engagement, Sean and his partners
were able to pick up a sponsor. It was an Italian princess who
also wanted to make a difference. The situation soon led to
his living in a mansion, rubbing elbows with a number of huge
celebrities, but working during the day holding workshops for
teens in South Central and East L.A. Sean’s company was the
first to bring together the rival gangs, the Crips and the Bloods,
for a face-to-face gathering. The meeting was historical but
was followed by an extremely violent car-jacking just outside
the venue. This was one of two car-jackings that altered Sean’s
path. While working at one of the major movie studios, he and
a colleague witnessed a shooting on the perimeter of the grounds.
The authorities were called but they said there was no rush
since the criminal act had already occurred. The callous violence
and the absurdity of his private life compared to his working
life finally caught up with him. Even so, from a business standpoint,
it was worth it.
“It turned out better than even we thought it would,” said Sean.
Once again, always coming in on the ground floor of technology,
he co-founded Universal Art Support which was an online art
auction and sales website. The rest of the 1990’s included multiple
businesses, some related to Visual Integration Consulting and
others dealing with Internet technology. One such business was
StudioFX which was so ahead of its time it truly defined Sean
as an Internet Pioneer.
The company broadcasted more than 2,500 hours of original content
including Gumby & Pokey, The Underdog Show, The Lone Ranger,
Howdy Doody, and many more. It partnered with a number of ad
agencies and start-up Internet companies while also earning
the disabled employer of the year award in 1999. The company
was hitting its peak with four billionaires backing the efforts
when suddenly people began pulling out. The euphoria brought
on by the creation of the Internet was suddenly turning into
paranoia. Everything was happening so fast but the pain of what
was taking place was slow and gruesome. Then the walls came
crashing in.
“Basically the bank said You know what? . Today is your last
day,” said Sean.
What was a tragedy then, somehow led to tranquility later. Sean
was at the end of his rope when he decided to finally take his
friends up on their consistent offers to visit them at Grand
Lake. He spoke with his wife Kristen who agreed to a Route 66
journey that ended up in Oklahoma. The thought of finding anything
appealing in Oklahoma had them both in stitches. After a long
trip, complete with a little bad luck and a few distractions,
the two arrived to the house at 3:00 a.m. After sleeping in,
Sean made a dramatic and comedic display of opening the curtains
to view the hell-hole of which they had envisioned. The beauty
was breathtaking and the two were absolutely speechless. The
joke was on them.
Within a couple days of their arrival, they were looking at
homes. Originally, they weren’t finding all of the attributes
they were searching for, which included total isolation. Then
as they were traveling down this narrow country road heading
for a house at Big Hollow, their world changed. They looked
each other in the eyes, squeezed hands and accepted their destiny
with open arms.
Sean hasn’t slowed down. He’s become one with nature, he focuses
more on his personal art. He consults and brainstorms about
new business ideas. The lake has brought him the peace he always
sought, but never knew. He’s not only at home in northeast Oklahoma.
He’s at home with himself. |
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