The Butterfly Effect, Part 1: Alden Simmer

Currently, there is just one employee of Terignota: me, Alex King. But in no way does that mean that Terignota was built by just one person. There are an unfathomable amount of people, moments, brands, and interactions that have had to come together in just the right way for Terignota to become what it is today.

Hence, the beginning of a series dubbed “The Butterfly Effect.” An assortment of posts acknowledging even just a small fraction of those who have flapped their metaphorical wings, and in doing so, contributed to the creation of this wild experiment called Terignota.

Our first butterfly: Alden Simmer

On a random day in college, Alden and I sat down in a coffee shop having not known each other for all that long, came up with a hair-brained idea to buy and build out a school bus, and proceeded to spend the following summer doing just that. There were of course some trying moments and we probably saw a little too much of each other at times, but looking back, those were some of the most special and simple days of my life. Two dudes, spending all summer working long hours toward a shared dream, each bringing our own passions and expertise to the project. Alden brought his joyful storytelling genius to documenting the process (if you’re curious, go find “The Denali Bus” channel on YouTube). Putting together multiple pieces we can forever look back on, reveling in the satisfaction of tinkering away at a dream while making most of the daily monotony it takes to get there.

Without Alden, without that summer of saying yes to pouring ourselves into the bus project, it’s unlikely my life would have led me to Terignota. It’s unlikely I would have worked at Naish Kiteboarding, a brand Alden grew up kiting for, which led me to spend time in China learning the ins and outs of manufacturing products overseas. It’s unlikely I would have started a business building tiny homes and van conversions, where I proved to myself that it is possible to be my own boss. It’s unlikely that I would have ever become interested in photography and visual storytelling, enamored by the art Alden has created, which has undoubtedly been a key factor in sharing the mission of Terignota.

Alden, this world, and my life, are magnitudes more rich with you in it. Keep on flapping those beautiful wings of yours.

Find some of Alden’s work at aldensimmer.com or @aldensimmer on Instagram. He’s damn good.