Karson Lewis

"We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are."
-Max Dupree

With apologies to Anaïs Nin: Life is the process of becoming yourself. Karson has no doubts about who she is. For instance, coastal areas account for under 10% of the United States land mass, and contain about 40% of the population. Karson knows she will always be in that sizable minority. It is a nonnegotiable fact.  

Born in Charlotte, Karson spent summers in Ocean Isle Beach throughout her childhood. In high school, she moved there. Since that time, she’s been unable to countenance an inland lifestyle. 

While living at the beach, Karson took up longboard surfing, which became a lifelong obsession. As an active board sport enthusiast, she will make trips into the interior of the US for snowboarding. However, these are only brief visits because Karson requires coastline.

After high school, she attended NC State University until the land-locked location (and weekly trips home to the beach) became unbearable. After a short time, she transferred to UNCW. Soon after the transfer, she found opportunities to surf around the world, and they were far too appealing to ignore. With her degree unfinished, Karson traveled to exotic locations like Sri Lanka and Indonesia while working for surf and yoga retreats, and (in her spare time) creating content. She has spent literal years in South and Southeast Asia, but over the past decade, she enjoyed a number of winters in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. 

When the Covid pandemic broke out, she was living in Aguadilla and surfing almost every day. However, Karson felt a desire to do more. Not that she would stop surfing. She will not. But she felt that she needed to complete her bachelor’s degree. Enrolling in Arizona State University, Karson completed college with an unorthodox flair. She took many courses from the back of her 4Runner on a tropical beach. It may have been an unusual way to complete a degree in Marketing, but Karson has never moved according to prescribed paths.

Part of maturing is becoming more comfortable with one’s duality; the contradictions in oneself. Somewhat at odds with the easy-going, laid-back surfer vibe (which Karson definitely projects), is her drive for industry. Her combination of natural affability and dedication to diligence mark her as a natural for her role here at Tayloe/Gray. Karson can (and will) speak with anyone. She also loves getting things done. Her favorite office accessory is the Post-It note because she can write errands on them. When the task is complete, she can pull up the note, crumple it, and, with a toss into the circular file, be done with it. A good to-do list fulfills that same urge for her. Crossing off completed projects makes Karson happy.