Gratitude is often described a state of mind and I’m honored to talk about the man that has taken this state of mind and created a movement around it.
Chris Bilyk is a Colombian American and this is what bonded us together at first. When I first met Chris we went to get coffee after I picked him up at his parents’ house in Celebration. The home was beautiful and the neighborhood looked like the kind of picturesque setting one imagines when they think of the “wholesome American suburb.”
This is where Chris and I had our first conversation. We flirted back and forth and shared stories of our high school days here in Orlando. What ultimately caught my attention was when he nonchalantly shared his story of addiction and recovery. In a suburban setting where problems are swept under luxurious rugs and the word addiction is whispered with fear and shame, this man proudly owned who he was, where he came from and where he was going.
I’m no stranger to the story of addiction seeing as how my own recovery plays such a big part in the work I do now. What made Chris really stand out to me was the confidence and, well, gratitude with which he shared with me his journey. Chris looks at the past that led him to this moment in life and instead of holding the pity party that I held for myself for years Chris was willing to tackle it, own it and used that to shape his future for himself and others.
When he shared the idea behind State of Gratitude — the lifestyle brand he had founded of cool, comfortable clothing and accessories — I saw immediately how the experiences of his past shaped his view of what State of Gratitude should be. Chris takes the grant model of empowerment and uses it to make sure that other individuals that struggle with addiction like he and I do are able to get the help necessary to rebuild their lives and fight for a better future.
Chris is a brilliant businessman and knows how to use his charm to further his goals. I’m grateful to know him and to have been able to hear from him the process of launching State of Gratitude at the beginning of the pandemic, to provide support in the grant-making process and better yet to see him succeed and give out his first grant, which he gave to an individual here in Orlando.
I’ve since had the pleasure of speaking to this man, Kevin Voelts, and the gratitude and love he displays for life even during this hard time is amazing. That’s what makes State of Gratitude a movement and not just a lifestyle brand. Chris has created an online community of recovering addicts who are grateful for the changes in their life and are grateful for their past and current struggles because, much like Chris, that is what makes them the amazing people they are today.
So who is Chris Bilyk? He is the creator of a movement that reminds all of us to be grateful and celebrate every moment that we fight for!
To view the full list of Watermark’s Most Remarkable People of 2020, click here.
