Tom Harrison & His Journey to Heal

I Love It When

Guess what? Today you get to hear from one of my favorite people in the world, Tom Harrison.
Tom is my partner and love in life - we met at the beginning of Covid over a Zoom call. It's a story that we'll share over time.
Today, I want to begin with Tom's story of healing and how he came to identify that he wanted to heal. If you live in the PNW - take the opportunity to visit Tom at his storefront in downtown Everett, WA on Hewitt Ave. I invite you to play.
The 411 on Tom:
Tom is the Chief Wonderful Toys Officer for MyMyToyStore, an independent e-commerce retailer and retail storefront. That was not the path he was supposed to follow.
As a child, he overcame a debilitating chronic asthmatic condition by becoming a competitive swimmer. His health improved enough for him to live an active childhood. He loved school and discovered a passion for reading, math, science, public speaking, acting, and visual arts. Tom was accepted into all 5 of the Ivies he applied to and selected Princeton University, where he was a Division 1 swimmer all four years.
After graduating, he went straight into law school in New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a prosecutor. He had to settle instead for the world of commercial litigation. He discovered a world of complicated investigations, endless rounds of evidence gathering, and legal strategies that played out like years-long chess matches. He loved it, except for the deeply toxic work environments managed by grown-up bullies allowed to act with impunity.
As with most humans, it took a close call for him to change the trajectory of his life. He survived the horror of Ground Zero on 9/11, but was left psychologically scarred by facing his imminent death. After leaving law and New York City, he tried careers in faction writing, swim coaching, marketing, and professional training, but nothing stuck.
Fortunately, his son Michael was born in 2007. It was in the early years of play with him that Tom remembered and re-learned the restorative power, deep joy, and learning possibilities in play. In 2011, he launched an experiment by buying a bunch of toys on sale and listing them on ebay. The quick and successful sales led him to grow the company from an ebay seller into a multi-platform online retailer.
In August 2021, he relocated from Denver, Colorado to Everett, Washington. A few months later, he opened a storefront in the heart of its historic downtown district. To Tom, it feels like the recapturing of a dream that he deferred for nearly 40 years. MyMyToyStore (based on his son’s nickname) is a place where people of all ages and walks of life can connect over shared pop culture, learn how to create, and feel the joy that comes from engaging in real-world play. Go visit www.mymytoystore.com to see what we have!
You're listening to I love it when... I am your host, Mo, and I'm a speaker, coach and retreat facilitator. You're in the right place if you're looking for inspiration, education and a path to find your true self.
My intention is to bring you stories that will help you uncover the magic within so that you can truly: BE YOU.
I love it when... I have the opportunity to learn a new perspective!
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