How Terry Crews Learned To Banish Fear!

What Terry Crews—pro athlete, artist, actor, author, and now celebrated furniture designer—has learned about taking chances, harnessing creativity, and barreling ahead…even when people think you’re crazy.

- Joe Keohane

It goes without saying that we’re past the point where we should be surprised by anything Terry Crews does. The former Nflplayer and current actor (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), author, and rising cultural icon is now in the design business—both as a patron and an acclaimed furniture designer. In the process, he has learned a lot about the nature of creativity, the art of managing creative people, and the exhilarating terror of entrepreneurship.

How’d you wind up in the furniture business, Terry?

It’s amazing what happens when you just go for things. I have a friend who studied design. Ini Archibong. We would always bump into each other in Pasadena and talk art, talk design, the whole thing. And then we fell out of contact—I went my way, and he went his. But once I started getting a little more success as an actor, I started thinking about doing some more things artistically. I found him through LinkedIn, to see what he was up to. He was getting his master’s in luxury in Basel, Switzerland. I said, “I’ve never been to Switzerland. I’m going to come out and meet you.” And I was so impressed. I said, “Look, man, whatever you want to do, I’m going to fund it. I have a budget. Whatever you want to do within this budget, let’s do it.”

I spent a ton of money. [laughs] I actually ended up spending three times what the budget was. But we took it to [legendary furniture fair Salone del Mobile in] Milan, and it was a hit. My wife the whole time was like, “What are you doing?” But for me, I just couldn’t stop. I have to see this all the way through. I just don’t care. I was so happy to help this guy.

How’d you get from there to designing your own stuff?