Eric Loren Montgomery
Storytelling runs in my family. As a kid, I would sit in my grandma's living room, listening to my father and his siblings tell stories about their adventures growing up in Compton. I also remember trying in vain to add my own stories to the Montgomery anthology. What I didn't know then is what I learned later in life—the best stories manifest through experiences.
My life has been my greatest resource as a writer. I am a Black kid, who grew up in Southern California, was raised in the church, fell in love with basketball watching the Lakers, moved from the hood to the suburbs in the 90s, embraced Hip Hop in my teens, found my way back to basketball and the hood as a young adult. Later, I became the first male in my family to earn an associate's, bachelor's, and graduate's degree, each centered around writing and literature. I can now confidently sit with the adults in the living room and hold my own.
As a Black professional writer, I've made it a focus to bring my full self to every project, company, agency, or team. I've learned at every stop, from my short time at XXL as a freelance writer, the summer I spent writing for Nike's Drew League, my stranger than fiction stint at a Korean cable network, the season I worked at the NFL Network to my current position at Nike WHQ; my most valuable asset is me.