LIFE IN A DAY: Jeff Raymond: From Aerospace to Agritech, The Remarkable Journey of Jeff Raymond

In a quaint town during his earlier years, Jeff Raymond found a commitment larger than life itself. His early days as a volunteer firefighter and first-responder instilled a profound sense of duty and service. A call that would echo again, leading him into the Air Force following the tragedies of 9/11. Within its ranks, Raymond made significant strides, playing an instrumental role in pioneering the nation’s security with the inception of top-secret satellite initiatives.

His tenure as an Executive Officer in Baghdad was more than an assignment. It was a crucible, shaping and refining his leadership, strategic insight, and resourcefulness amid some of the most challenging circumstances. Post his military sojourn, Jeff transitioned his Aerospace Engineering degree from Embry-Riddle and a Master of Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University into the burgeoning field of commercial aviation. Over the span of a decade, he notably influenced the trajectory of unmanned flight systems.

Yet, 2017 signaled a pivotal change. In memory of his father, who succumbed to terminal cancer, Jeff made a daring leap into the startup ecosystem. Joining forces with Bart Womack, he became a part of Eden Grow Systems. The company, with its noble vision, aspires to equip families and communities across the globe with the tools for food and energy self-sufficiency, aiming to surpass current paradigms and envision a future that pushes past our immediate world.

Throughout this transformative arc, Alicia Raymond, Jeff’s wife, has been a cornerstone of support. Their collective narrative finds voice and visualization on their ‘THE REAL MARTIAN’ YouTube channel. Their invention, the Genesis Habitat, known colloquially as ‘Hab,’ is not just another life support mechanism. It represents a dream of a luminous, sustainable tomorrow.

Here, in A LIFE IN A DAY, a person shares with Rachelle Gordon of Highly Capitalized, what
life’s like for them outside their busy working week.

What’s your morning routine, and what do you think about in the mornings?

LOL when I first started this journey in startup life, I was up each day at 5am, in my home gym, then onto a quick breakfast shake and then straight into work. Now, after 4 years of startup life…and many, many, very long and late days I’m up around 6am. Strolling to the coffee machine, and trying to convince myself to go and hit the gym. And then I hear the Teams “ping” and it’s onto the computer I go. In all seriousness, I’m up at 6, trying to be healthier, but getting older sucks, and now I must ease into working out. So low impact walking, working my way back into weightlifting, and trying to cut back on the caffeine. BTW, I only had 1 cup a day (unless it was a bad day), but that one cup…it woke you up. Then I go out and feed the critters (horses, cows, chickens) and while I walk I pray to Jesus thank him for the day, ask for guidance, then I ask for protection on our home plus all of our friends and family.

What part of the world do you wake up in the morning, and what is it like where you live?
I live in the great pacific northwest and on a 20-acre ranch in the beautiful Cascade Mountain range. Temperatures are hot in the summer and darn cold in the winter. My favorite season here is fall, followed by spring. The change from hot summer to fresh crisp mornings with a nice heat in the afternoon, not exceeding 78F of course (wink), are amazing. Followed by the change from deep dark winter to the promise of a fresh start in spring, with the sun shining on your face warming your whole body. I can hear our horses, cows, and chickens beckoning me to the barn no matter the time of year as I go to do the morning and afternoon feed rounds.

What’s the first thing you do each day, and what do you eat and drink in the morning?

Startup life is tough and the stress that comes from it has taken a toll on my body. I’m trying to change my behaviors now so instead of just work, work, work I eat, exercise, and de-stress more. So in the mornings I’m trying to workout again, and then have some of our farm fresh eggs cooked in a variety of ways…right now I’m on a breakfast burrito kick. Just a small flour tortilla, some cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and two scrambled eggs. I love my Stanley French press mug and the coffee it makes is amazing. But only one cup. I’m trying out various health shakes trying to find the one that works for me, but damn, are there a lot to choose from.

What publications do you recommend to read in cannabis?

I honestly spend so much time trying to build the tech and run our company that I haven’t opened any pubs lately.

How do you work and plan your day, what’s your job?

I start each day in prayer with the Lord. I give thanks for all we have, then I ask for wisdom to make good decisions, to be a strong leader, and for him to help guide my day. I also ask for protection on our efforts, home, and family and friends. Then I get inside, read the bible for about 5 minutes, and dig into emails and IM’s. Once I get those all opened and see the battlefield, I open One Note, look at my to-do from yesterday, at todays must do items, see if there are any fires that need attention and then I jump in.

Do you exercise or meditate, and what do you think about when exercising, meditating?

I certainly try. I pray, and I was really good at working out, but then got pulled into work mode. These days I’m trying to slowly work my way back into working out, but my joints and tendons are really sore (years of ranch work) so I’m going slow. Mostly I try not to think. Just relax, listen to music and de-stress.

What do you wear these days?

LoL oh man, how embarrassed do you want me to make my wife lol. I’m a creature of habit and pretty sure I’ll be wearing what’s popular when it comes back into being popular again. In the summer I’m all about cargo shorts, a polo or t-shirt and flip flops. Then in winter, a hoody, blue jeans and slip on work shoes. For business, I’m all about a nice pair of slacks, dress shoes, and a collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

What’s for lunch and describe the rest of your day like up to dinner time?

At lunch, my wife, who also works at Eden, tends to take a break and make us a variety of different things. I used to sit at my desk and eat but now I try to make it a point to step away and de-stress while eating my meal. After that, it’s going from one thing to the next at work. Calls, IM”s, emergency emails, etc. I try to get back to my to-do list but there’s always a pressing matter. Just another day of working the line. I’ve been getting up to take more short walks, like 5 minutes, to stretch, get rid of the desk stiffness, and clear my mind. Really enjoy those.

What are some thoughts you might have about your cannabis job–compared to previous jobs?

Its nice to know that what I do can directly help people. I wish I knew now, back when my Dad was sick. Had I actually been informed on the potential for cannabis to directly tackle/fight/destroy cancer cells, my Dad might still be here. Having never really been “into cannabis” I am a reformed believer, you might say. I don’t think anyone should take any substance to the point of losing control (being drunk for example) but I really have come to understand the history of cannabis and the wrongs done against it all for greed. It angers me that it’s a schedule one drug and no research is allowed, though, it seems like that is starting to change. The systems we’ve designed allow everyday people to grow at professional levels. And that means, somewhere out there, there could be a son, who has a dad who’s sick, and I know that our systems might be able to help them for a fraction of the cost of chemo. Its also great knowing that our systems not only enable people to grow their own medicine, but their own food too. I loved my time in the Air Force and working in aviation. I served by helping develop technology. But the feeling I get in this job, makes those others pail in comparison.

What’s your evening routine like after work? What’s your commute like?

My commute takes about 1 min…I travel via foot from my home office to my main room. Oh boy, please don’t be mad at me…its’ such an answered prayer to be able to do this. At dinner my wife usually cooks up some amazing culinary delight and we sit down and enjoy some quite time usually watching a sailing or travel video on youtube. We aren’t sailors, but we both love the idea of sailing the world.

When do you consume–during the day or at night?

I bought myself  a vaporizer and from time-to-time, I’ll take some of the cannabis we grew in our systems and will step outside, usually at early evening, and give myself some micro-doses. I’m still learning the right dosage as I’m really trying to avoid the couch lock I got the first few times I dosed. Oh man, those were long days lol.

What’s your bedtime routine, and what are your thoughts as you drift off to sleep?

My wife cooks, so I clean up dinner, do the dishes, and set the kitchen up for the next day. Then shower (if I haven’t already) and then prayer with my wife. In bed, it’s all about trying not to think for me. It’s far too easy to get caught up in planning the next day, instead of doing the planning, I ask the Lord to, and he’s always done a great job.