We were your typical suburban family, two kids in sports, a house, a dog… everything but the white picket fence.

After high school, our oldest son began to struggle in ways we didn’t fully understand. As a school counselor, I was trained to recognize signs in others, yet somehow I didn’t see them in my own home. He still talked about the future, his plans, and all the things he wanted to do. Never in my life did I imagine we would lose him to suicide.

Clayton was curious, creative, and always chasing a new interest. He loved to push the limits, try new things, and live life fully. The last few years of his life, we grew especially close. We talked about everything, we could finish each other’s sentences. He wasn’t just my son, he was one of my best friends. 

In June of 2023, our world changed forever when Clayton died by suicide.

For a long time, I walked through life in a blur of grief. Even now, as we approach year three, grief can still catch me off guard. But somewhere along the way,  I realized something.

I can carry his light forward!

This ride is part of that journey. It’s how I turn pain into purpose, grief into movement, and love into action for others who may be silently struggling.

Clayton believed that:  

"Nothing shines brighter than you."

And now, I carry that message with me, one mile at a time, coast to coast for mental health. 

The History of Righteous & Company

“Righteous” was Clayton’s word. It started back in high school surfer style, laid back, full of light. It wasn’t about being perfect. It meant: hang loose, be yourself, stay kind, and live in a way that feels true.

To him, “righteous” meant being authentic. It meant being a good human. It meant letting people be exactly who they were.

He carried that word with him as he grew, and it became something bigger. It was the beginning of a brand he was starting to build before he passed, something that reflected his personality, his heart, and the way he moved through the world.

After losing him, I knew I couldn’t let his idea disappear. I wanted to carry his ideas and mission forward in my own way. So I created Righteous & Company. 

Clayton is the “Righteous.”
The “Company” is all of us. Together, we are Righteous and Company!

It represents every person who has rallied around his memory, supported our family, believed in this mission, and chosen to help bring light into the world. It’s an umbrella for all the ways we continue his spirit through connection, movement, creativity, and mental health awareness.

The Righteous Ride is just one expression of that. It’s one path this journey is taking and wherever this road leads, Righteous & Company will grow into whatever it is meant to become.

This entire journey is about carrying his spirit forward, the way he lived, the way he loved, and the way he reminded people, without even trying, that being yourself is always enough.

Nothing shines brighter than you!

A Song About Clayton

One of my yoga teachers is also a music artist and created this song for me after losing Clayton.